Tyakima, Washington (August 29, 1912 – May 21, 1959) 46 yrs

Thelma Johnson Streat was an African American artist, dancer, and educator who focused on ethnic themes in her work. Streat expressed herself through many creative avenues, including oil and watercolor paintings, pen and ink drawings, charcoal sketches, mixed media murals, and textile design. Throughout the 1940s and 50s, she performed dances, songs, and folk tales from many cultures to thousands of youngsters across Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the United States as an introduction to the beauty and value of all cultures. The Los Angeles Times reported that Streat was threatened by the KKK for her painting called “Death of a Negro Sailor,” portraying an African American sailor dying after risking his life abroad to protect the democratic rights he was denied at home. Streat initiated a series of murals depicting the contributions of Black Americans in industry, agriculture, medicine, science, meat packing, and transportation. In 1939, Streat worked with Mexican muralist Diego Rivera on his Pan American Unity mural in San Francisco.