Skip to main content

Black and White In Plain Site

Culturally, humans celebrate historical moments and locations differently. It's often done in ways that most individuals outside of each subgroup will never understand. The reverence for whatever significance these places and things hold usually shows themselves subtly, and/or boldly.
 
The essence of these special places and moments are seldom captured without mounds of emotion. If by happenstance someone fails to acknowledge or address them, everyone present will asked two very important questions. Who's responsible for capturing our most precious moments, and who will make sure that they're captured moving forward?

The Ritz, Washington Street High Point, NC
  
The Celebrated Robert Hayes, 56 Year Barber/Entrepreneur, Washington Street, High Point, NC
After those two questions have been answered, and the call to the assignment has been accepted by a responsible party, the work starts.  The unnerving task of documenting history begins.  The chosen party must be a resource.  He or she has to be a fearless visionary, one that doesn't drive a deeper wedge between what most are unwilling to understand, and the obstacles of truth that come with the assignment.  The photos captured have to breathe the art of pure journalism.  They have to posses that characteristic in order for the images to resonate with the masses.  The work has to pay homage to those that have stood the test of time on both sides of the tracks.  

Divide Two Ways, High & Low
Each and every image has to be unapologetic-ally honest. They must celebrate all that's forgotten, and all that exist, while embracing the wisdom from unexpected places.

 
Rail Road Crossing Bridge, Washington Street, High Point, NC




No matter the roads traveled, we must celebrate our brothers journeys.  If we don't, who will? 

Left: Kenny Shaw, Sitting Right Darius Brewington former Standout Student Athletes T. Wingate Andrews High School
 
Black and White in Plain Site, unapologetic-ally celebrating and re-writing the narrative.  


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Players That You Never Knew

With the opening Friday Night of the 2014 high school football season on the horizon, every barbershop in every small-town in America is probably buzzing with the conversation of who are greatest high school football players of all time.  It's a valid question considering the pool of talent that passes through most small towns.  People often wonder where these guys end up long after their playing days are over.  I've often asked the same question about many of my ex-teammates. Two in particular, Darius Brewnington and Kenny Shaw. If you were an athlete in the early 1990's they were arguably considered two of the most influential athletes in North Carolina's rich high school football history.  Unfortunately, like many other high profile athletes life happens.  However, even with the growing pains of life every man has his day of redemption.  With Darius and Kenny being former teammates of mine I wanted to see for myself who they are 20 years removed fr...

The Money Shot

The "Money Shot". It's not the type of shot where you look to get paid. It's the one that tells the largest story with the least amount of words. Today as I drove through Pen Lucy park, I saw this homeless lady at the stop light. I've driven through here daily for years and today was the first time I'd ever seen this lady. She was as worn as the soles of her shoes. She appeared to have the conscious mind of a 6 year old child. I only had about 20 seconds to capture the moment. It tends to be that way driving through the district where most of the show " The Wire " was filmed. Needless to say I was able to salvage what I referred to above as, " The Money Shot". After countless hours of studying the late great visual artist, Gordon Parks life stills, I've come to the conclusion that life stills are and should be timeless. They hold the frailties of life tight enough to crush them and soft enough to doctor them back to maximum h...

Everything High Point Matters

To understand what's good about a place you have to see it. You have to live it, love it, smell it, and often times it has too become a part of who you are. Those things only take place when you invest yourself in the experience of it. It requires a person to look deep into what some consider the ugliest parts of its' environment. For many that's a difficult stance to take. Primarily, because that type of thought process isn't the average person's reality. Investing all of who you are into an unfamiliar area requires a unmeasurable amount of selflessness. However, for those that take on the challenge of fostering an undaunted vision, they're now impacting generations beyond their years. Day campers dab after a one day football camp hosted by Ringo McKiver and former High Point All-Stars. Corey Dawkins High Point Hornets head basketball coach teaching a basketball skills camp. Coach Marcus Wilson helping with meals after football camp.  They e...