I, too, Am America

April 2019

I, Too is a photographic collection inspired by the Langston Hughes poem of the same title. The 1926 poem narrates the difficulty and beauty of the Black experience that is, in some ways, still relevant in 2019. Each line of the poem inspires and titles a photo series that brings Hughes words back to life. While some series are direct visualizations of Hughes' words, i.e "I am the darker brother" is a series of portraits of Black men, others are personal interpretations that I hope spark conversations both within the African American community and in society as a whole. I present themes such as homophobia, interracial relationships, immigration and civil rights in this collection among many others. My hope is that audiences have conversations not discussing the work itself but the themes that arise from it.