Fifty-six images of Black men in black hoodies. Fifty-six pairs of eyes showing intensity, pain, beauty and life. The portraits are simple yet striking, leaving the viewer struggling to break eye contact. At the bottom of the portrait is the subject’s name, profession and college degree.
The “56 Black Men” campaign created by Cephas Williams was first launched in 2018 in the United Kingdom. According to their website, the mission of the campaign is to “put Black men at the forefront of our own conversation” and “dramatically reduce the negative portrayal of Black men throughout various forms of mainstream media.”
In the lobby of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, two images of Black men wearing a hoodie gaze at museum visitors that pass by. Further down the south hallway are 14 more of these photos. All Black men, wearing a black hoodie, on a grey background. At the end of the hallway, a video displays words on a black screen, with a melancholy instrumental tune as the soundtrack.
“Let’s not forget, that Black people globally are hurting,” the video reads. “Let’s change the negative stereotypes that the media continue to portray about Black people.”
According to Lisa Abia-Smith, Director of Education and senior instructor 1, PPM, at the JSMA, the JSMA hosted the first exhibition of this series outside of the UK. She believes this was possible due to the museum’s history of credibility and relationship building as many museums are just starting to confront their own racist histories. The JSMA was founded in the 1930s as a place to learn about other cultures through art.
“We are global citizens, and these issues around racism are not directed just to the U.S. or to Europe,” Abia-Smith said. “This is a worldwide problem.”
On opening night of the exhibition, Abia-Smith watched as viewers were moved to tears — holding on to each other and confronting their own biases while staring at the four by two foot portraits of Black men in hoodies.
“My mission really was about the next generation,” Williams said in an interview with BBC. “And the idea that Black boys growing up rarely get to see themselves amplified in a positive light in the newspaper.”
When picking his photography subjects, Williams literally pulled Black men off the street, according to Abia-Smith. He photographed real people and used the captions to show that these men are not their stereotypes — they are college graduates, organization founders and cofounders, creative directors — these men are diverse. They are not the stereotype portrayed by the mainstream media as a “thug in a hoodie,” according to the panels accompanying the images in the JSMA.
“His work really is beyond art. It’s a way to galvanize change, bring awareness,” Abia-Smith said. “Change the narrative of how Black men are portrayed.”
The “56 Black Men” exhibit is available at the JSMA until Nov. 21, but the campaign itself will be available for viewing on the website indefinitely. “56 Black Men” also has an Instagram as a community organization furthering the commitment to change the narrative by posting content to call out injustice and uplift Black voices.
“Create awareness of your own bias,” Abia-Smith said. She hopes this exhibit helps people challenge their own assumptions and work through their biases.
