Icon for My Man Superman (Superman Never Saved Any Black People—Bobby Seale)

The painting "Icon for My Man Superman (Superman Never Saved Any Black People—Bobby Seale)" is a 1969 self-portrait by American artist Barkley L. Hendricks. Hendricks, an African American artist, was inspired by the Old Masters but sought to depict ordinary Black men and women in his work, a subject he found lacking in historical art.1

While the painting features Superman imagery, it is not a political statement in the vein of Social Realism, which often addressed social protest. Instead, Hendricks's work focused on personal subjects and cultural elements important to him, such as music and sports. The title itself, referencing Bobby Seale and the idea that Superman did not save Black people, highlights a critical perspective on popular culture and its representation of race, even within a personal artistic context.21