shadows + highlights.
circa March 2023
the last few months, this past year, has been draining. although I am appreciative for the opportunity to extend my education journey, this has definitely been a journey for sure. as I worked to complete my master’s degree, I had the opportunity to take a course that prompted me to change my perspective on how I view Blackness in media. it was this class that led to the birth of my project, promise that you will see about me: for seeds not in the sun, a photographic journey that sought to reinvent how we view Black males in media and how these roles impact their identity. while there has been an influx in who is being represented in media, the character types themselves are rather limited and do not always portray Blackness in its totality.
but why was this draining? outside of the unexpected day-to-day encounters that attempted to knock me off track, I realized that I didn’t truly understand. I didn’t understand to the fullest extent what Black men go through, and how they chose to navigate these emotions. I couldn’t quite grasp why certain portrayals in film impacted how they choose to move forward, or why these minute instances propelled them to carry themselves in a different light. but through interviews, personal stories, phone calls, and texts, I could say I get it.
“do you feel seen?”
was no longer a question of small importance, but this became a focal point within my work. after years of not being seen in the fullest extent, my main goal was to ensure that these men were seen. in their highs and in their lows, and not just their shadows but their highlights too. listening to their stories urged me to make sure they were heard. that they were seen. that when they cried, we could cry with them too. I didn’t care to get recognition for my work itself, I just wanted them to be seen in full. in totality, not just when they met the approval of others. despite how we feel throughout each day, as members in our community, we play a significant role in the lives and development of not just ourselves, but others too.
my project consists of 25 featured pieces, named after a track that has shaped my own perspective throughout this photo journey…
in this melodic journey we call life, we’re all just an assortment of instruments attempting to find our rhythm. I chose tracks that not just spoke to me in relation to this project, but also pieces that spoke toward the individuals themselves. music tells stories, through every lyric and beat, and many of these photographs encompass tunes. here are a few leading lyrics that aided in the title selection process of my featured images. may you find meaning within the connection of each photo just as I did.
MAVI, on Chinese Finger Trap
...feel like the harder I work, the smaller escape, the taller the gate; they say it's all in the game and I should feel honored to race...
J Cole, on Side Story
hey, I'ma put us all on the map, gone and I ain't lookin' back... cause can't nobody tell me what I ain't gon' be no more, you thinking I'ma fall, don't be so sure...
Vickie Winans, on Safe in His Arms
when the storms of life is raging... He shall hide me.
Anthony Hamilton, on Pass me Over
don't be afraid, he who knows will make a way. His word alone is what has kept me...
D Smoke, on Black Habits I
...everything you need, better believe you are that.
Buddy, on Shine
I pace myself and take my time with it, plus I be staying on track like a locomotive and I'm planning to make it, so it doesn't matter if you never notice a man in the making
Kendrick Lamar, on Black Boy Fly
...regardless of where you stay, hold your head and continue marching
JID, on Kody Blu 31
so when the world's feelin' enormous on your back and on your arms, and your feet just as heavy you been draggin' through the storm; starin' at the city, but you trapped inside a hole, get your back up off the ropes, keep swangin' on...
Amine, on Roots
the sun is on me, and my stems don't bite if the light shines bright... I got my own seeds, they rip my petals to my six 'cause my roots won't die.
Phoelix, on Freeze Tag
I been waitin' on the summer (summer), soul lookin' back and wonders: 'how we 'posed to get from under?'
Nas, on The World Is Yours
whose world is this? the world is yours...
Deante Hitchcock, on Flashbacks
I done seen my lowest lows, I mean low as the basement, tryna' reflect without usin' a mirror 'cause I'm too scared to face it...
Kendrick Lamar, on Father Time
...I love my father for tellin' me to take off the gloves, 'cause everything he didn't want was everything I was.
Big Gripp, on Black Ice (Sky High)
wow can I rap? Can I adapt? not really sure yet, who that lookin' over the shoulders of those writin' dreams?
Sounds of Blackness, on Optimistic
you can win, as long as you keep your head to the sky...
Kendrick Lamar, on Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst
when the lights shut off and it's my turnto settle down, my main concern: promise that you will sing about me...
Childish Gambino, on Stand Tall
there is a voice inside us all, so smile when you can...
Common, on The Light
signed, sealed, delivered, for us to grow together; love has no limit, let's spend it slow forever.
Ice Cube, on It was a Good Day
just wakin' up in the morning, gotta thank God...
MAVI, on Chinese Finger Trap
...feel like the harder I work, the smaller escape, the taller the gate; they say it's all in the game and I should feel honored to race...
Kent Jamz, on Neighborhood
that's how it all goes when the dice roll out and the elements test what you all about...
Stevie Wonder, on Isn’t She Lovely?
...life and love are the same.
Kota the Friend, on For Troubled Boys
I am blessed, now I say that with my chest; I am grateful for my breath, I am present in my flesh.
Mick Jenkins, on Black Sheep
out here harvesting the same crop, woe is me... black sheep, but I know you see the GOAT in me.
Big K.R.I.T, on Bury Me in Gold
...hate the confidence and shine that the gold gives, so they take away your freedom and your golden years...
Johnny Venus, on Strong Friends