In his elder years , Hayden continued to be active with his art , regularly being selected for prestigious awards and traveling between Paris and the United States to fuel his inspiration . Racism remained a relevant topic in his life and art , leading him to publicly speak out against racist policies hindering the African-American and Hispanic communities . An example of this was seen in 1966 , when Hayden wrote to William Booth , the Chairman of the City Commission on Human Rights , regarding the advocacy for an equal number of African Americans , Latinos , and white people on the board to prevent mistreatment fueled by prejudice and power . Hayden died on February 18 , 1973 , shortly after receiving a grant to depict Negro soldiers between the world wars
racist policies
Institutional racism
Palmer Hayden