Visible Man 22.11.18

This work is from the Visible Man series which reflects upon black male visibility and representation.

Growing up in a blue collar community, I rarely saw black men in suit and tie in real life and rarely on television. There were a few at the Catholic church I was raised in. I did have one black male teacher in high school and none in college. It wasn't until I worked at an HBCU that I saw black professional men in larger numbers. It was a transformative experience and, as I look back, I realize how the visibility and representation impacts self image. 

-Harold Smith