Black History in the Making: West Alabama Edition- Simmie Knox

Have you ever heard of Simmie Knox?

Simmie Knox is an artist who is the first black man to create an official U.S. presidential portrait. And where is he from? Mr. Knox was born in Aliceville, Alabama!

Biography.com reports that Mr. Knox debuted his portrait of President Bill Clinton in 2004. Born on August 18, 1935, Mr. Knox spent much of his childhood in the care of family members after his parents divorced. He even worked in the fields with his sharecropping family. However, he did graduate high school and even went to college, where he intended to major in biology. He didn't do so well in science, but it was noted that he made wonderful sketches of microorganisms.

His work was so spectacular that one of his professors recommended that he take some art classes. Mr. Knox eventually earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in fine arts from Temple University.

Besides his painting of President and Lady Clinton, Mr. Knox is known for many of his other works. His portrait of abolitionist Frederick Douglass even is part of an abstract collection at the Smithsonian Institution!

Mr. Knox has made major contributions to modern art; and again, he was born in the small West Alabama city of Aliceville!