The ninety-five African American contemporary photographers represented in this volume have used their cameras as tools of social commentary and personal and artistic exploration, bearing witness to changes in the American experience over the past fifty years. These uncompromising, thought-provoking, often highly politicized images cover subjects such as the daily life of African Americans; the struggle of the Civil Rights movement; the history of Black musicianship; and the influence of African American art, literature, and ideals of beauty on American society at large. Black artists, philosophers, writers, poets, musicians, politicians, and sports heroes are featured throughout. Some of the images address the most personal issues of philosophy and identity. The photographers featured, all working today and most of them at the height of their productivity, come from every region of the United States; together, their work represents a far-ranging exploration of contemporary African American identity.
Barbara Head Millstein is Curator of Photography at the Brooklyn Museum of Art and the organizer of the exhibition
Committed to the Image. She is the co-author, with Sarah M. Lowe, of Consuelo Kanaga: An American Photographer.
Deba P. Patnaik is Professor of Culture and Interdisciplinary Studies and Director of Multicultural Affairs at Antioch College. A poet, translator, and critic, he has written widely about contemporary photography.
Clyde Taylor is a film historian, cultural critic, and essayist. He is professor in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study and in the African Studies program of New York University.