THE UNSEEN TRUTH When Race Changed Sight in America

Sarah Lewis's careful scholarship probes racial hierarchy and its insidious hold on the American psyche; she carries out this examination through paintings, sculpture, and photography. Lewis narrates her work in a gentle tone and, sadly, a rather uneven cadence. She focuses initially on a painting called THE CIRCASSIAN BEAUTY, which contributed to the false belief that the Caucasus was the birthplace of the white race. In truth, many different races and cultures were represented in its people. Quoting Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, and others, Lewis cites many artworks to prove how we dismiss what is right before us. S.G. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2025]