White (1918-1982) was born and raised in Chicago. As a teenager White won three Illinois state scholarships to art school. However, when he showed up to enroll, the first two schools denied him admission upon discovering that he was African-American. He eventually studied at the Chicago Institute of Art and the Art Students League in New York, as well as in Mexico. He was greatly inspired by the revolutionary images of the Mexican muralists. In 1956 White and his family moved to Los Angeles due to his poor health. He taught at Otis Art Institute, and among his students were future muralists Richard Wyatt, Alonzo Davis, Eloy Torrez, and Kent Twitchell. His drawings and paintings have been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the world. (Robin K. Dunitz, Street Gallery, Guide to over 1000 Los Angeles Murals)
