In Kerry James Marshall’s Ladder of Success, the smooth, gleaming surfaces of a soaring stack of boxes are not only pleasing to the eye, but evoke the sculpture of Donald Judd. Judd was associated with American Minimalism—an influential mid-20th century approach to abstraction that purged emotion and personal references from imagery and is most identified with white, male sculptors. Marshall re-thinks Judd’s work by featuring the colors of the Pan- African flag and Swahili words that identify the principles of Kwanzaa, the African American celebration of cultural heritage, family, and community. These words—ujima (collective work and responsibility), umoja (unity), ujamaa (cooperative economics), kuumba (creativity), nia (purpose), imani (faith), and kujichagulia (self-determination)—are inscribed on seven of the boxes, while the remainder bear English words that appear in a 19th century Currier & Ives print presenting attributes of character such as “economy” and “prudence” as a “ladder of fortune.” Across from the upper reaches of Marshall’s abstracted ladder is a photograph of the former headquarters of Chicago-based Johnson Publishing, owners of Ebony and Jet lifestyle magazines. This juxtaposition raises the question of whether the principles invoked in the sculpture contribute to or contrast with the kind of achievement celebrated by these well-known publications.