'Together We Will Win', painted in 1973, brings together Black warriors, workers, mothers and children in the style of a European triptych. Jarrell combines African portraiture while alluding to the shimmering mosaics of religious art through the use of aluminum and gold foil; a reference to the AfriCOBRA principal of “Shine.” The painting is a tribute of solidarity to South Africa during the era of Apartheid. The heavenly, haloed beings, painted in AfriCOBRA’s signature “Cool Ade” colors embody Black Power and are knit together with words (in both English and Spanish) that are only recognizable upon closer inspection. The letter B, for “Black is Beautiful” is repeated throughout the canvas. Phrases like, “All Black Brothers Get Together” and “Africa For Survival” surround the seven painted figures who appear to inhabit a spiritual plane. The three central figures, represent the artist’s three children, Wadsworth Jr., Jennfier, and Rosyln; represented as potential soldiers for the liberation of South Africa. The two figures on the left panel are jazz musician Donald Byrd and fellow AfriCOBRA founder Jeff Donaldson. At the time of the creation of this painting, Jeff was chair of the art department and Donald was chair of jazz studies at Howard University. The left panel are men created from Wadsworth’s imagination; architects with plans for future progress with the embossed phrase, “Africa for Survival.” The top panel has symbols of Freelimo; the Anti-Apartheid group paired with the rooster, setting sun, and three words in Portuguese meaning Patriots, Homeland and Freedom. Demonstrating the key principals of AfriCOBRA, Jarrell employs the use of dense African design patterns with zigzags and chevrons. At the top center, the ethereal rooster, a South African symbol, watches over the landscape below. Through 'Together We Will Win', Jarrell is celebrating the social actions of his fellow contemporaries in the fight towards equality.

Wadsworth Jarrell (b. 1929, Albany, GA) is a painter, photographer and founding member of AfriCOBRA, a Chicago-based collective of black artists who developed their own visual aesthetic in the art world to empower black communities. Wadsworth’s pattern-intensive portraits, combining vibrant colors and Black Power slogans, depict his drive for political activism. He documented the musical life that flourished in Chicago in the late 1960s-1970s and was a member of the Organization of Black American Culture that painted the “Rhythm and Blues” section of The Wall of Respect mural in the South Side of Chicago. Currently, he continues to experiment in his practice with past and present topics surrounding Blackness.