In his artist\u2019s statement Taliaferro writes, \u201cRecent events point to the urgent need for conversations about the contemporary black American male.\u00a0Sons<\/em>\u00a0is a humble attempt to reveal how black American males see themselves while encouraging a thought-provoking examination of how they are perceived. Perhaps this project can be the start of a conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n When you enter the Sons<\/em> exhibition gallery you start in a section called \u201cPerceptions,\u201d black and white photographs of just the faces of black men. The images are not identified, labels only ask Taliaferro\u2019s provocative question. There are no clues or social cues to depend on for your answers; simply faces making your assumptions a testament to your experiences and beliefs.<\/p>\n As you move further into the gallery you enter the \u201cRealities and Reconciliation,\u201d area. \u00a0The same subjects from the previous section are named and identified through short bios as well as videos that are accessible\u00a0using QR codes that you can scan with a\u00a0smart phone or tablet. Once identified, you see men who run the gamut of the black experience. You can hear them talk about their experiences when others\u2019 perceptions of them are inconsistent with who and what they really are. Dr. John T. Bullock, a Towson\u00a0University professor and recently elected Baltimore City Councilman, talks in his video about what he and his wife, Jacquelyn, call the “Double oh!” When he introduces himself as a professor, or now as an elected city official, he often gets that surprised look and response, “Oh! Oohh! So, you’re a councilman?”<\/p>\n The video by comedian, Jason Weems, is a heartbreaking contrast to his occupation as he talks about having to keep his son from playing with a toy gun in the park fearing that a\u00a0childish game of cops and robbers could lead to a real-life cop shooting first and asking questions later. Other subjects\u2014all sons and fathers\u2014include a hospital administrator, a county executive, a police officer, a disc jockey, a musician, a tech executive. community activists, educators, and attorneys; they demonstrate the diversity of black men, however, their experiences are strikingly similar.<\/p>\n During the preview, I had the opportunity to meet several of the men who are subjects in the exhibition. Many attended with their own sons and I was impressed by the confidence and optimism they exuded. Through Jerry Taliaferro lens these black men are now art, and to repeat the words of Degas, \u201cArt is not what you see, but what you make others see.\u201d Sons<\/em> forces you beyond\u00a0the perception to see, really see, fathers and sons\u2014black men\u2014as they are and as they hope to be\u2014mirror and crystal ball.<\/p>\n Sons: Seeing the Modern African American Male<\/em>\u00a0is on view at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture through 2017. If you\u2019re in or near the Baltimore area, please go. It will change the way you see.<\/p>\n![\"rl-exhibition-john\"](\"https:\/\/donnadrewsawyer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/RL-Exhibition-John-224x300.jpg\")
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