referred to as “Black Metropolis” as it was the country’s most significant concentrations of African American businesses. The region housed a large percentage of African Americans, approximately ninety percent. As a result of this heavily African American dense population, the area also had a thriving African American business community and music culture, especially that of jazz and the blues. Motley closely examined Chicago’s African American community and painted its black elites as well as recently arrived Southern migrants, which seemed to troublemakers and slackers. During that period, many African Americans migrated to the North in search of better economic opportunities as well as to escape the persecution from the South’s rampant racism. Motley was influenced by the culture that these southern migrants brought with them. Many southern ministers migrated to Chicago and brought with them religious practices that seemed and eccentric to locals like Motley. He integrated this new culture in his painting by illustrating a southern evangelical preacher standing on a podium saying "Jesus Saves".   Motley noticed how African Americans would dance, drink and enjoy social entertainment offer in the neighborhood after a hard week of work. He was inspired by Bronzeville’s ability to join together so many people of different races, economic circumstances, and social status. His genre paintings including Getting’ Religion from this period reflect the cultural ambiance of rhythmic figures, and vibrant colors all revealing the high energy of jazz that was prevalent at the time

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          According to the Whitney Museum of American Art, Motley met other black artists whose works centered on the modern, urban American experience. These encounters led Motley to embark on an art career that concentrated on illustrating contemporary African American Life, which was unusual at the time. Influenced by other modern art forms including symbolism, fauvism, and expressionism, Motley created a style characterized by dark and tonal yet vibrant and saturated colors. Motley implemented the traditional techniques he had learned to depict African Americans in a dignified way, rather than in stereotypical or caricatured ways that white artists at the time had often depicted African Americans. Motley wanted to represent African Americans honestly and sincerely. He said, “I feel that my work is peculiarly American; a sincere personal expression of the age and I hope a contribution to society”. In his painting, Getting’ Religion, poked fun at the stereotypes of African Americans that white artists would depict by painting caricatures with exaggerated red lips and bulging eyes. It is said that Motley painted his characters in this painting this way to mock the stereotypes people thought about African Americans. This approach was not offensive to the community as it would have been widely understood by the African American community and was meant to be sardonic and affectionate.

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       In addition to historical movement inspirations, Motley was influenced by film. He borrowed conventions of film, a popular medium most viewers at the time were familiar with to create his scenes. He implemented techniques and methods of movie making to further illustrate his message in Gettin’ Religion and provoke social change. He employed cinematic techniques like close-ups, panoramas, dramatic lighting, staging, decorative costume, and deception all to establish a dramatic effect. Motley invented a distinctive and unique style and one of the first series of paintings that portrays modern black urban life in America. His city scenes glorify black achievements, self-sufficiency, and independence for the white world. Through his painting, Motley presented African American culture to be modern and compelling to challenge the prevailing racism.

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