Inspired by her grandmother’s stories of enslavement and resistance, and the ideals of the Harlem Renaissance cultural movement, Elizabeth Catlett used her art to advocate for the political and social empowerment of Black people, and for global women’s and worker’s liberation. In 1946, she moved to Mexico City, where she worked with the Taller de Gráfica Popular (Popular Graphic Workshop) and absorbed the concept of mestizaje—a blending of Indigenous, Spanish, and African cultures in Mexico.

The strong, modern woman (she wears a dress and high heels) depicted in "Stepping Out" embodies feminist ideals. With one hand on her hip and the other outstretched, she steps forward to meet any challenge with the confidence of a generation that has reaped the rewards of the civil rights movement. Catlett wrote of her art: “It must answer a question, or wake somebody up, or give a shove in the right direction—our liberation.”