Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey. As a child, he went to live with his mother in Philadelphia and then in Harlem. During his early teens, Lawrence began studying art when his mother enrolled him in an after-school arts program in Harlem. There, he met the African American artist Charles Alston, who became his mentor. At the age of 16, Lawrence quit high school. He continued to take art classes.

In the mid-1930s, Lawrence began painting his first important works—scenes of street life in Harlem. Lawrence used vivid colors and stark images to address many of the social issues confronted by African Americans during that time. Some of his best-known works are several biographical series in which he depicted the lives of black historical figures. In 1940, Lawrence began work on what would become his most famous series of paintings—The Migration of the American Negro. This series tells the story of blacks' migration from the South to the North as they looked for work in the years following World War I.

During the 1950s and 1960s, when many artists began to paint in the style of Abstract Expressionism, Lawrence remained true to his subject matter and artistic style. He continued to address social issues, including racism and discrimination. In 1970, Lawrence moved to Seattle and became an art professor at the University of Washington. He continued to paint, however, until his death.