PARables "When I look at the paint- ings of LeRoy Clarke, medi- tate upon his writings, or converse with him, I know that I am in the presence of greatness; someone who has laid claim to his space; someone who has left an indelible impression upon his time; and someone who has achieved all of the attri- butes of royalty. I can testify. LeRoy Clarke is the finest of our generation; the supreme representative of our pains, our sufferings and our striv- ings; the most inspirational of our prophets; and spiri- tual architect of our becom- ing. His work transcends the politics of our every-day life and the precariousness of our narrow existence. At best, it penetrates into our unconscious and demands that we explore the meaning of our existence." (Selwyn Cudjoe 2003)