#ogpenn

“You can start as fast as you want to, but if you don’t finish, you haven’t done a thing.” | OG Told Me

“You can start as fast as you want to, but if you don’t finish, you haven’t done a thing.”- Oscar Wright

In front of rooms of people, be it at a large school board meeting in downtown or at a small continuation school in East Oakland, I’ve witnessed him introduce himself before—and always does it the same way: by stating his name, his age and the fact that he is a “proud African American man”.

He…

"Alcohol is almost as bad as heroin..."- Gerald "Tin Man" Green

Mr. Green and I stood outside of Oakland's Laney College Forum on a Saturday morning, as we discussed his upbringing, his career as an engineer and his history here in Oakland. 

What impressed me the most was the portion of the conversation where Mr. Green, I mean Tin Man, talked about his knucklehead days.

"You know that corner store over there on 59th and San Pablo?" Tin Man said as he pointed in the general vicinity. 

"I used to hangout in front of that liquor store!"

He and his crew were regulars on that corner. And after having a couple of drinks and/or smoking with the gang, he'd head home and do his homework.

He said it's all about self-control.

I asked him if it was like being a kid, and knowing how to stop yourself from grabbing another cookie out of the jar. He said, yeah! 

I didn't get a chance to ask him the question (If you had a chance to give young people a piece of wisdom, based on your experience, what would you tell them?).

Instead, our conversation about drug consumption ended abruptly, as I was asked to return to my job as a photographer for an event. 

But, before I left, Tin Man made sure to tell me to be mindful of my alcohol consumption.   

"My name is OK," an older gentleman told me, as I walked through Oakland's Mosswood Park with a camera in my hand.

After asking If I could take his photo, OG told me: "Oh baby, don't get it twisted: I'm not Hollywood. I'm Holly-hood."

"Culture is a weapon."- Emory Douglas

…

Emory Douglas is an artist, illustrator and the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party. He’s a published author, as copies of his book “Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas" can still be found online. 

His art is evocative. I dare you to look at his images and not feel them.   

“Whether the people like it or not, you’ve got to bring it to their attention,” Emory Douglas told a room full of students and faculty during a presentation at Merritt College’s Student Lounge on February 18th, 2014.

His art is social commentary.  

“I wonder if Nixon is bothering us now,” Douglas said as he showed an image of the former President in a menacing manner. He clicked to the next slide and said, “I wonder if Obama is spying on us now”. As the image of Obama replaced the image of Nixon, someone in the crowd let out an “Ohhhh!”

"We’re talking about the real deal!" exclaimed Douglas.

His point: the same thing he saw back then, he sees going on today. And it’s his job to show that connection to the world.

His presentation was full of words like: Freedom, Slave ships, Obama, Nixon, Panthers, Sickle-cell, Oakland, Atlanta, Vietnam, Terrorism, Media, Government, Police, Pigs, Politics and Power. 

He talked a lot about politics. And power. 

…

When the question/ answer portion of his presentation came about, I asked Mr. Douglas: if he had the chance to give the youth a piece of advice, based on his experience, what words of wisdom would he give them?

OG Told Me: 

"Stay inspired. Stay focused. Have fun, at the same time, be focused on what you need to do. Study, learn your craft or whatever you do," Emory Douglas told me (and a room of people).

He concluded with saying,”be able to work with a group of people.”

….

After answering my question, he recited a poem.

(The following is the final segment of his poem.)

"A Liquor Store Lesson" by Pendarvis Harshaw

...

A  two minute short film which depicts the the driving concept behind the OG Told Me photo essay: There is a SENSE OF INTERGENERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY shared between Black men. This why young Black men listen to elder Black men, why elder Black men lend wisdom to younger Black men. And most importantly, this is a natural occurrence.

...

Proof? Although this video was scripted, when Richie Rich showed up on the set, the young men shook his hand. One of the young men used their smartphone to google his name. Seconds later, the young man exclaimed, "Oh! YOU WERE A PART OF 415- MY DAD USED TO LISTEN TO THEM!"

On a humble Sunday bike ride through West Oakland's Lower Bottoms neighborhood, one of my fellow bike riders, a young photographer by the name of Dwight, decided to stop and engage in a brief conversation with Calvin, an elder gentleman who happened to be sitting on the porch of a vacant house. As Dwight snapped his camera, capturing the image of OG Calvin and his friend Moe, Calvin dropped this brief jewel to Dwight, myself, and the rest of our bike squad ...

And then Dwight took this photo...

Neighborhood OG’s. #picoftheday #hood #photography (Taken with instagram)