Face Forward: Young African American Men in a Critical Age - Softcover

Okwu, Julian C.R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0811812154 ISBN 13: 9780811812153

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 1997

Synopsis

Defying the statistics, destroying the stereotypes, this inspiring collection of portraits trumpets the achievements of thirty-nine young black men. This handsome volume combines luminous photographs with intimate interviews of young men leading exemplary lives. Photographer Julian Okwu traveled across the country interviewing teachers and entrepreneurs, lobbyists and poets, ministers and politicians. He found a diverse range of voices, experiences, and attitudes, but all of the men he met shared a concern for the African American male and a hope that future generations would benefit from their work. In a world of negative images, skewed statistics, and racial division, these young men embody an alternative reality and an eloquent argument for optimism. A powerful, timely social document.

About this title

Review

Some years ago, an incident on a San Francisco street made Julian C. R. Okwu realize that there were white people who saw him not as a man, but as a black man who was a potential source of trouble because of the color of his skin. "I wanted to introduce the world to another idea of young African American men," he writes in his introduction, explaining the reason for this powerful and important book. In Face Forward, he presents photographs and brief autobiographies, in their own words, of 40 young black men. They are a varied lot--a former gang member, a dancer, a medical student, a politician, businessmen, and activists. What they have in common, though, is a desire to give back to the black community, and to be seen for who they are.

About the Author

Julian C.R. Okwu (pronounced Oh-koo) was born in London, England, to Nigerian parents and raised in Connecticut. His work has appeared on the covers of several books and publications and in numerous magazines. The 1994 recipient of the Revels M. Cayton Awa

Edition details

• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0811812154
• ISBN 13: 9780811812153
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160