Jacob Lawrence made African American families the subject of some of his art, but used these subjects to convey complex messages about family and society . “The Builders” shows a confident, well-dressed family, while “This is a Family Living in Harlem” depicts a family living in austerity and melancholy. Although both paintings depict families, the paintings evoke radically different moods. Although “The Builders” depicts construction workers, the center of the painting is a family on a walk together. The workers and the wood they use serve to frame the family and make it the focal point of the work. The family is well dressed; the father wears a suit and hat, the mother a dress and hat, and the children are dressed the same. At first glance, one might assume that they are heading towards the church; however, the fact that construction workers work behind them excludes the church, since they would not work on a Sunday. Therefore, it can be inferred that this family is prosperous and that is simply how they dress. The board is full of images that support this idea of ​​prosperity. The family moves forward together, each putting their right foot forward, while the builders all build upwards. The message of progress is clear: all topics on the board are progressing and moving forward. Bright colors and lack of shadow support a vision of hope and success. A single white worker in the painting pauses in his work to turn and look at the family, as if to note their new emerging status in the world. Indeed, the “builders” of the picture are actually the family, as they move forward to build a better future for their children and for African Americans in general. In contrast, “This is a Family Living in Harlem” paints a bleaker picture. While the family in “Builders” strides forward, backs straight and confident, the family in “Harlem” is hunched over, heads leaning on their shoulders, as if carrying a great weight. While the family in "Builders" is unified and united, the family in "Harlem" is separated by a table, suggesting that they are not as unified as they could be. They are dressed in the same colors as the family in “Builders” – blues, reds, yellows – but the colors are sober and subdued. Unlike the father in “Builders” in a suit, the father in “Harlem” wears the crossed straps of overalls, the pants of the working class..