The journal Negro Digest of July 1963 carried an appreciation of Charles White, written by Hoyt W. Fuller. Fuller would come to distinguish himself as an important and original voice of the Black Arts Movement, so it was in many respects no surprise that he should write such an appreciative reflection on White. Over six pages, Fuller's feature included a number of photographs of White at work in his studio, as well as three reproductions of work, including Move on up a little higher. This wonderful text culminated with a reference to the then latest folio of prints that White on occasion made available to the public. "(A portfolio of 10 Charles White lithographs, 17 x 22 inches, is available for $12.50 postpaid from Pro Artis Publishers, 2500 W. Sixth Street, Los Angeles, Calif.)"

Fuller's text began, "The work of Charles White has such simple, direct - and profoundly poetic - power that it is astonishing he is not world famous. well, perhaps not so astonishing after all: the artist is a Negro, characterized by great pride and integrity, and his subject matter is, almost invariably, his own race.

"I suppose I am trying to say something about Negro people," the slender, soft-spoken artist explains. "Negroes have been my primary theme for 25 years - their beauty, their feelings, their aspirations." 

There is no question that his message comes through. All the Negro heartache and heartbreak and terror and suffering, together with the indomitable spirit, cry out from his work. long before "soul" became a concept around which race-proud Negroes could rally, Charles White was portraying it through his art.

For six years now, he has been living in Altadena, a Los Angeles suburb with a climate White terms "ideally conducive to creative work." His studio is a converted garage, adjacent to his home and adjoining a large yard and patio. but prior to moving to California, he lived 17 years on the East Coast, primarily in New York." 

This is a fascinating feature, full of information and detail about White's studio and commercial practices.