Jamel Shabazz: We Need Images of Black Dignity and Resistance
Jamel Shabazz, 1982
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Jamel Shabazz reflects on the origins of his photographic practice and the importance of images of Black dignity and resistance.
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“One of the ways I used my camera as a tool for Black liberation was by simply recognizing the inner beauty that my subjects possess. In photographing, I always tried to impart knowledge. All my work was really about just reaching the people—photography was secondary. The primary aim was to talk to people about what was going on in America and how we needed to wake up.”