For the past few years, artist and writer Ronald Wimberly has been brightening up and enlightening the internet with his series Black History In Its Own Words.

Photos: Ronald Wimberly

The series, which features illustrations of black heroes done in Wimberly’s signature boldly kinetic, woodblock-flat style alongside one of their famous quotes, is being collected this year by Image Comics.

Photo: Ronald Wimberly

Wimberly is well known for his 1980s-flavored hip-hop take on Romeo and Juliet, his run on Marvel’s She-Hulk and an autobiographical comic on race in illustration done for The Nib.

Photo: Ronald Wimberly

He told Comicosity about his new book, “I was inspired by the aesthetic discipline of Emory Douglas and Bruno Paul to work in graphic reduction and a limited palette inspired by national colors of the black diaspora. I hope that these images of black luminaries and their words will inspire readers to further research and be emboldened to live as they have.”

Photos: Ronald Wimberly

The book, also titled Black History In Its Own Words, features 40 of Wimberly’s illustrations and is out now.

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