About four years ago I was on a photo walk in downtown Atlanta. I came to an intersection and across the street I see this brother walking with the unmistakable bop of a free man carrying a little girl.

The Black gaze is relatable, humanistic, empathetic, authentic, truthful, inclusive, defiant.

The Black gaze is relatable, humanistic, empathetic, authentic, truthful, inclusive, defiant.

The Black gaze to me, means Black visual artists having the ability and ample opportunities to tell our own stories without the fear of not meeting the expectations of non-Black people.

The Black gaze is about the experiences that exist within each and every single one us. There are stories at every single corner. And it’s those stories that allows us to have a voice; especially when so many people are voiceless, and don’t get to share those experiences.

The Black gaze shows the importance and perspective of art and influence through Black individuals. It’s unapologetic in staying true to how our culture views and interprets ourselves.

The Black gaze means an admiration of everything Black. Admiration that is not only external but also internal. Internally in regards to politics, culture, emotions, and mental illness. Overall, the Black Experience.

The Black gaze means an admiration of everything Black. Admiration that is not only external but also internal. Internally in regards to politics, culture, emotions, and mental illness. Overall, the Black Experience.

To me, the ‘Black gaze’ is about shifting the visual power and narrative to, and through, the lens of Blackness.

It’s amazing how Black creatives can be interviewed and their process documented, it inspires.

The Black gaze is an intuitive perspective laid out with the purpose of improving how the reality is staged. It matters to me since artists can, and will be able to, step into the world with all they’ve got. Inspiration and fearless story telling prevails.

The Black gaze has echoes of the male gaze. I do, however, think that as a Black man it is my duty to re-appropriate how White people see us and how we see ourselves.

It’s amazing how Black creatives can be interviewed and their process documented, it inspires.

It’s amazing how Black creatives can be interviewed and their process documented, it inspires.

It’s amazing how Black creatives can be interviewed and their process documented, it inspires.