Is it Art Without Urgency?

It took 13 years for Washington to complete The Continual Struggle, a collection of 34 paintings in mixed charcoal documenting the historical struggle against segregation. "The monochromatic is ageless and universal," says Washington, 36, symbolizing "a timeless struggle."

In one piece, humble Freedom Riders board a bus in the shadow of a Baptist church under an ominous, swirling sky. In others, Washington paints utility poles to represent crosses, underscoring the marchers’ sustained faith.

The celebrated collection is now touring at presidential libraries and museums around the country; former president Bill Clinton wrote the forward to the exhibition book. During a recent event at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, Washington met the widow of civil rights activist Rev. Ralph Abernathy.