As I've been studying art, a name that's come up very frequently is Norman Rockwell. I've noticed something in every painting I've seen mentioned in the context of these studies: there are only white people. So I started wondering: did he ever paint black people? What were his opinions on us? Given how often his work is used to evoke "traditional" (AKA white) American culture, I decided to look into it a bit.

I didn't have to dive very deep to end up surprised. It turns out, the publication he originally worked for had a rule that people of color could only be shown in servile roles. When he changed publications (reportedly due to his frustration with this rule, among others) he published a few paintings that covered events in the civil rights movement, such as the murder of three black civil rights movements, Ruby Bridges being escorted to school, and a black family moving into and integrated neighborhood.

I can't find anything with him verbally stating his opinion on the civil rights movement, but based on these paintings, I can't help but think he was an ally.