Charles White interacted with Freedomways journal more than any other publication. His work appeared on the covers of the journal on many occasions. It was the leading African-American theoretical, political and cultural journal of the 1960s–1980s, having been published between 1961 and 1985. Freedomways (which by 1970 represented itself as “A Quarterly Review of the  Freedom Movement”, the word 'Negro' having by now been dropped from its masthead) remained unsurpassed in its embrace of, and attention to, African, African American and African Diasporic subjects. Each issue of Freedomways amounted to a treasure trove of texts and features, written by a distinguished range of scholars, academics, artists and writers.

This particular issue Vol. 16, No. 1 Winter 1976 (First Quarter) carried on its cover a very recent lithograph by Charles White, The Prophet, 1975-1976, 27" x 36.5". The Prophet marked a new departure for White, in that it was a move away from the weighty social realism of his monochrome drawings. This particular issue of Freedomways was its 15th anniversary issue.