[1][2] Born Pearl Alice Cooper, Peggy Cafritz belonged to one of the wealthiest African American families in Mobile, Alabama.

[5] Cafritz traces her love of art back to her childhood, at least to the age of seven or eight, when she was mesmerized by her parents' print of the painting Bottle and Fishes by Georges Braque, a French cubist.

She studied it closely, rearranging elements of the painting in her head, and, as she got older, making up stories based on it.

Afterward, Dr. King came to her family's home and signed a copy of his book for Cafritz, saying "that I should aspire to be a quiet, strategic leader like my dad.

When she called home crying, her father told her she needed to learn how to deal with such racism, because it would happen to her all her life.

[3] In 1962, her junior year of high school, she met the family of Dr. Roland Wesley Chamblee and his wife, Dorothy.

The Chamblees for years had welcomed many Black students into their home, where they had lively debates about religion, race, and morals.

Cafritz credits the Chamblees for influencing not only "how I see formal art, but the beauty of my Black body, mind, and soul."

[9] The summer after graduating from high school, Cafritz and her friends decided to test the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which had recently been passed.

She discussed with her friends their shared frustration with the exclusion of Black people from the museum world as well as the performing arts and other cultural institutions.

[1] In 1972, Cafritz began work at Post-Newsweek stations, later renamed Graham Media Group, where she was an assistant to Harry Belafonte and M. Carl Holman, president of the National Urban Coalition.

When she was unable to get an appointment to meet with the painter Jacob Lawrence for a documentary she wanted to make about him, she got his travel schedule and flew to Chicago's O’Hare Airport, where she found him getting off a plane and convinced him to speak with her.

The festival gave city kids an opportunity to be both participants and performers in the arts, while interacting with Black professionals who exposed them to a variety of career paths.

While working on the festival, Cafritz became good friends with GW grad student and choreographer Mike Malone.

[1] Cafritz and Malone's goal was to start an arts-education program for local children who had shown promise but had no outlet to demonstrate their potential.

[13] Ellington alumni include Dave Chappelle, Denyce Graves, Hank Willis Thomas, and Meshell Ndegeocello.

[24] She reached a settlement with the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority over the fire for their inadequate pressure in the hydrants.

[26] Included in the Cafritz collection is Carrie Mae Weems, El Anatsui, Chris Ofili, Mickalene Thomas, Glenn Ligon, Simone Leigh, Titus Kaphar, LaToya Ruby Frazier, William Villalongo, Tschabalala Self, Nathaniel Mary Quinn and Njideka Akunyili Crosby, whose work is featured on the cover of a 2018 book about Cafritz's collection.

[34] Cafritz was the first collector for many visual artists and has sponsored many projects including Spike Lee's Malcolm X.

Cafritz died in Washington, D.C., on February 18, 2018, from complications from pneumonia after a period of declining health.