"The works reproduced in this book were exhibited in their entirety in an exhibition titled 'Dust Jackets for the Niggerati - and Supporting Dissertations, Drawings submitted ruefully by Dr. Kara E. Walker' at Sikkema Jenkins & Co, New York, from April 21-June 11, 2011" -- from colophon.

"This publication documents Dust Jackets for the Niggerati, a major series of graphite drawings and hand-printed texts on paper that grew out of Walker's attempts to understand how interpersonal and geopolitical powers are asserted through the lives of individuals. In scenes that range from the grotesque to the humorous to the tragic, these works vividly and powerfully explore the themes of transition and migration that run through the history of the African-American experience. The accompanying essays take us through Walker's saga of American experience--the dual streams of renewal and destruction that trace parallel lines through the last century's rapid urbanization, and the complementary emergence of a 'New Negro' identity." --Publisher description.