Black & Dangerous

“Black & Dangerous” is a collaborative project utilizing poetry, portraiture, and reportage to redefine the way Black people are perceived because of stereotypes. Through various visual and audible mediums, Black folk share their individual experiences, beliefs, and feelings of what it means to be Black & Dangerous, both to society and as redefined to themselves. This project aims to shift the negative narratives society has placed on the Black community and give control back to the individual. Black & Dangerous is giving Black folk the power to reclaim their voice and see the positive contributions they provide to society because of who they are at their core. Black & Dangerous is a celebration of individuality within the Black community while observing the emotional and mental cycles these stereotypes contribute to.

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As the producer of Black and Dangerous, I have sought to understand the various ways in which Black people view and interact with the world around them, as well as their reflections of self. As part of this project, the collaborators were given journals and have written responses to prompts on what they feel it means to be Black in America. From feelings of shame, anger, and hope, I anticipated that my subjects would express similar experiences. I assumed all Black people living in America experience the same transgressions, sorrows, memories, and joys.

This project has helped the participants define themselves as individuals whose purpose is integral to the progression of the Black community.

By redefining what it means to be Black and dangerous through journal entries, poetry, interviews, and vulnerable conversations, each individual has expanded their understanding of what it takes to represent the beauty, power, and value of the Black community.