“Nero Marquina: Metamorphosis of the American Negro”– continues the sub-theme within Good Mourning, America of using physical sciences to inspire social and cultural discourse. This piece is painted to resemble Nero Marquina, or black marble. The title, however, suggests a metaphorical parallel between the geological formation of marble (a metamorphic rock) and the evolution of the “negro” in American society. Marble is a rock resulting from the metamorphism of limestone (a common building material). Metamorphism is the change of minerals primarily due to conditions of intense heat and pressure. This process causes the original mineral grains to recrystallize into a new material, such as marble, though containing the same basic elements as the original material.