The exhibition is titled History in Their Hands: Black Photographers in Cleveland, Ohio, 1968 – Present.
The Western Reserve Historical Society’s Cleveland History Center has launched a new exhibition that displays the work of Black photographers from the Cleveland area. Titled “History in Their Hands: Black Photographers in Cleveland, Ohio, 1968 – Present,” the exhibit itself is located inside the Bingham-Hanna Mansion.
According to Dr. Regennia William, a member of the Distinguished Scholar of African American History and Culture Curator of Community Partnerships and Traveling Exhibitions, the new exhibition is meant to honor Black contributions to America’s long history.
Williams told ABC News 5 Cleveland, “These photographers have traveled and lived all over the country and made friends for Black History all over the world.”
The exhibition includes photos of prominent historical leaders such as Jesse Jackson, the former Cleveland City Council President and Cleveland NAACP President George Forbes, Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and others.
“I was in the darkroom where I spent a lot of time making pictures, and the phone rang,” Pinkney recalled. “The chief photographer for the Pittsburgh Press was on the other end and said, ‘Do you still want that job?’”
Pinkney then became the Pittsburgh Press’ first full-time Black photographer. He took the job because the “main thing I was trying to overcome was stereotypes. I knew that all black women didn’t look like Aunt Jemima. And I knew all Black men were not like Uncle Ben. I want to show how beautiful we were,” he explained.
“I wanted my pictures to be truthful, to be honest and be fair. I try to take pictures that have some kind of meaning – that tell a story.”
Source: Black Enterprise
