Samuel Mockbee's imagery and writings reveal his complex vision of southern culture, poverty, and social injustice. His life story and the story of his art and architecture are not mutually exclusive; therefore this research project intensely considers his body of work in the context of his biography. His people, places, events, and deep stories still exist, in part, in his drawings and paintings, where consideration of the role of place is essential to understanding the impetus behind them. Cultural and social contexts that were the setting for his life manifested themselves in unique and often complex illustrations in his art. Circumstances of history that were specific to Mockbee's lifetime offer significant perspective into his constructed mythologies. Rooted in the Southeastern United States, his art, teaching, and vision for social justice were larger than place and contained universal appeal through his unique balance of intellectualism, populism, and compassion.

Rebecca O'Neal Dagg is associate professor of architecture in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture at Auburn University. She earned her MArch from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Her undergraduate degree in interior design is from Auburn University’s School of Architecture, where she was the recipient of the Mary Frances Carter Award. O'Neal Dagg served as associate dean for research and academic affairs for the College of Architecture, Design, and Construction (CADC) at Auburn, from 2006 to 2013. She was interim dean for the CADC in 2011. Currently, O'Neal Dagg is chair of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture’s (ACSA) Leadership Committee. Her research and creative work is focused on architecture theory and representation, architecture pedagogy, and interior architecture. At Auburn, she teaches upper-level architecture design studios, seminars in architecture history and theory, drawing courses, and interior architecture thesis.