All God’s Chilluns Got Shoes

1947, color lithograph

Color lithograph

12 ¾ “ x 18 ¾ “ plate

This colorful and lively piece shows a golden staircase leading to the holy Heaven above. You might have noticed that some of the people in this lithograph are putting on shoes.  When this piece was created, most Black patrons would not have been allowed to try on shoes or any article of clothing in a department store. To have angels deliver winged shoes to the faithful would be a dream come true.  These shoes evoke the winged shoes of Mercury, the “Messenger of the Gods.”   It is important to understand that shoes were a luxury item at the time.  For the fortunate, shoes were taken for granted as a necessary part of dress. However, for others, a pair of shoes could be a precious possession and a status symbol.  Heaven was a cherished reality, especially for the Black people of the Eastern Shore.  The belief that the righteous will receive a new pair of shoes on their way to Heaven is echoed in the spiritual, All God’s Chillun’ Got Shoes. This color lithograph was honored as the American Color Print Society’s Image for 1947.