The Tan Suit 14.5 x 23 oil on panel, framed by the artist

I noticed this young man in the tan suit after Sunday service at Mother Emanuel Church in February 2010. He is carrying his grandma’s bible and white gloves. He is respectful, obedient and devoted to being the best he can be. I wish I’d gotten his name and learned a little more about his story. President Barack Obama made the tan suit infamous on August 28, 2014, because he wore one during a White House press conference on national security. While lighter suits are normal summer wear, the choice sparked a bizarre media uproar. In the context of historic African American churches like the AME (African Methodist Episcopal) tradition, light suits, seersucker, and beige tones carry a long-standing cultural meaning of Sunday best, dignity, and seasonal elegance rather than being any kind of political statement.