In the early 1960s in Harlem, Bearden was a founding member of the art group known as The Spiral formed «for the purpose of discussing the commitment of the Negro artist in the present struggle for civil liberties, and as a discussion group to consider
common aesthetic problems.»
The collective formed the Spiral group, «for the purpose of discussing the commitment of the Negro artist in the present struggle for civil liberties, and as a discussion group to consider
common aesthetic problems,» according to «A History of African - American Artists: From 1792 to the Present,» a comprehensive reference volume by Bearden and Harry Henderson (1914 - 2003).