Books

In 2012, Carol Jacobsen published two photo books, Painting with an Elephant is a children’s book about doing collaborative art with an elephant. OmoValley: Vanishing Tribes takes place in 2013, documenting tribal life just as the Ethiopian government was leasing their lands to China for growing crops.

But in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, Carol was spurred on to speak out against racism in this country. Inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. quote ““I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” she started painting portraits of overlooked Black women who had overcome barriers of race and gender to achieve their dreams and give back to their community.

Women of Color and Accomplishment

After painting 31 of the eventual 100 portraits in the Women of Color and Accomplishment series, Carol wrote the book Women of Color and Accomplishment, telling the stories of the women in the portraits included in the book.

Fighting for Equality

In 2022, after painting an additional 31 portraits and attending a college class on African American History, her second book was published. This book, Women of Color and Accomplishment: Fighting for Equality highlighted Black women who fought for civil rights and women’s rights.

Doing the Right Thing

Wanting to reach a younger audience and include women who have made progress in fighting for justice or improvements in their communities, the third book was published in 2024: Women of Color and Accomplishment: Doing the Right Thing.