#shotbylu

Today's Black History pic. Huey Newton by legendary African American photographer, Howard Bingham in 1967. This portrait was taken during the Black Panther trial in Oakland, California. Bingham's most noted work was portraits and candids of Muhammad Ali. He served as Ali's personal photographer for a good portion of his career, including his trip to Zaire, Africa to face George Foreman. Bingham was portrayed by Jeffery Wright in the Hollywood film "Ali".

"American Gothic" by Gordon Parks, 1942. Parks took this infamous photo on his first day on the job at the Farm Security Administration in the nation's capital. The woman captured, Ella Watson, was a charwoman for the FSA and raised 3 grandkids and one adopted daughter on a $1,000 per year salary (roughly $15,000 today.) Watson was just as qualified as one white woman whom's office she cleaned but was forced to be a charwoman due to her race. This portrait serves as a parody of Grant Wood's historic oil painting of the same name. Gordon Parks is definitely one of my biggest inspirations.

Today’s Black History Pic. Jamel Shabazz, 1980 in Brooklyn, NYC. African American photographer Jamel Shabazz’s name is synonymous with street photography. Shabazz is responsible for providing hundreds of images taken on the streets of New York during the birth of hip hop culture. There have been several homages to him in popular culture including season one of Netflix’s Luke Cage. This particular photo was taken in Brownsville, Brooklyn on a Canon AE-1. He later named this picture “Flyin High” and was used as a album cover for The Roots’ conceptual album “undun”. 

Today’s Black History pic, Dorothy Counts photographed by Don Sturkey in 1957. Counts was one of first black students admitted to the Harry Harding High School, in Charlotte, North Carolina. After four days of harassment that threatened her safety, her parents forced her to withdraw from the school. This photo would influence writer and scholar James Baldwin to come back to America after leaving for Paris, France in the late 1940s.

"A Great Day In Harlem", 1958 by Art Kane. My choice for today is "A Great Day In Harlem." This photograph is highly regarded as one of the best music pictures ever taken. This piece was feature in the January 1959 issue of Esquire. There are many Jazz giants such as Charles Mingus, Art Farmer, Thelounius Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and Art Blakley. As of today, February 3rd, 2017, there are only two artists alive, one of which is saxophonist Sonny Rollins.

Throughout this month I will be sharing some of my favorite photographs pertaining to the African American experience. All of the photos have impacted and/or influenced me in some kind of way.