Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He spent most of his youth and young adulthood in Harlem and was a product of the intellectual and cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. He studied art in studios around Harlem and he produced his first series of 60 paintings, The Migration of the Negro, at age 24. He moved to Seattle, Washington in 1971 and joined the art faculty of the University of Washington. He lived and worked in Seattle until his death in June 2000.

Lawrence is best known for his historical narratives and scenes of urban life in the African American communities of the United States. His work is included in most major museum collections, as well as many corporate collections, and has been exhibited widely both nationally and internationally. He produced several historical series - Toussaint L'Ouverture, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Migration of the Negro and John Brown - in the 1930's and 40's, making a significant contribution to contemporary American art. Many of his most famous subjects - his Harlem scenes, builders, people in the street - were inspired by his observations of the world around him. His widow, Gwendolyn Lawrence, is also an artist.