▁of ▁dollars ▁in ▁au ctions ▁and ▁sales . ▁ ▁The ▁Black ▁Arts ▁Mov ement ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁was ▁another ▁period ▁of ▁res urg ent ▁interest ▁in ▁African - American ▁art . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁several ▁African - American ▁artists ▁gained ▁national ▁prom in ence , ▁among ▁them ▁Lou ▁Sto v all , ▁Ed ▁Love , ▁Charles ▁White , ▁and ▁Jeff ▁Donald son . ▁Donald son ▁and ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁African - American ▁artists ▁formed ▁the ▁Af ro cent ric ▁collect ive ▁A fri CO B RA , ▁which ▁remains ▁in ▁existence ▁today . ▁The ▁sculpt or ▁Martin ▁P ury ear , ▁whose ▁work ▁has ▁been ▁acc laimed ▁for ▁years , ▁was ▁being ▁hon ored ▁with ▁a ▁ 3 0 - year ▁ret ros pective ▁of ▁his ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁Museum ▁of ▁Modern ▁Art ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁Notable ▁contemporary ▁African - American ▁artists ▁include ▁Will ie ▁Cole , ▁David ▁Hamm ons , ▁Eug ene ▁J . ▁Martin , ▁M ose ▁Tol liver , ▁Reyn old ▁R uff ins , ▁the ▁late ▁William ▁Tol liver , ▁and ▁K ara ▁Walker . ▁ ▁Liter ature ▁ ▁African - American ▁literature ▁has ▁its ▁roots ▁in ▁the ▁or al ▁trad itions ▁of ▁African ▁slaves ▁in ▁America . ▁The ▁slaves ▁used ▁stories ▁and ▁f ables ▁in ▁much ▁the ▁same ▁way ▁as ▁they ▁used ▁music . ▁These ▁stories ▁influenced ▁the ▁earliest ▁African - American ▁writers ▁and ▁po ets ▁in