Who tells the story will determine how the story is told.
As a black man and a black photographer growing up in East London I have been acutely aware of how my race has been defamed in the public consciousness with inaccurate tropes played out in the media, owned and controlled by white, middle class men. The cycle of pictures I was bombarded with made it very easy to believe the lie... Black boys mugshots, eyes dead to the horrors of their crimes, black women nothing more than fodder to our sexual appetites, the "country" of Africa a barren wasteland of war and famine.
Our cries to be seen as the beautiful, varied, colourful, intelligent, complex, strong and vulnerable really came to ahead after the unlawful death of George Floyd. Many in our community and our allies woke up from their slumber to try and do their part to change the narrative. I was no different. Like many others I became emboldened through our collective uprising to find my way to contribute by helping to redefine the cultural landscape.
BLACK ON BLACK, where I celebrate the authentic beauty of our race in all their shades. Our stories are not fictional, so it is important that it is told in its truest light. That is why #representationmatters
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