Face Forward: Young African American Men in a Critical Age

Defying the statistics, destroying the stereotypes, this inspiring collection of portraits trumpets the achievements of thirty-nine young black men. This handsome volume combines luminous photographs with intimate interviews of young men leading exemplary lives. Photographer Julian Okwu traveled across the country interviewing teachers and entrepreneurs, lobbyists and poets, ministers and politicians. He found a diverse range of voices, experiences, and attitudes, but all of the men he met shared a concern for the African American male and a hope that future generations would benefit from their work. In a world of negative images, skewed statistics, and racial division, these young men embody an alternative reality and an eloquent argument for optimism. A powerful, timely social document.

About the Author :
Julian C.R. Okwu (pronounced Oh-koo) was born in London, England, to Nigerian parents and raised in Connecticut. His work has appeared on the covers of several books and publications and in numerous magazines. The 1994 recipient of the Revels M. Cayton Awa

Review :
--Crisis, July 1997 Face Forward is the first photographic essay of its kind. Compiled by photographer Julian Okwu, the collection presents the insights and experiences of 39 black men between the ages of 18 and 22. Its author, Julian Okwu, is a Nigerian who was born in England and raised in Connecticut. His inspiration for this unique photojournalistic effort came from an incident on a San Francisco street which occured when he tried to walk around a white female photographer to avoid interrupting her work, although every white pedestrian had directly crossed her path. Recounted by Okwu, the photographer whispered, "Stay with your own kind," as he tried to cross. He continued walking, then turned to face and reason with the woman whom he says raised her voice and then spat on him. Okwu saw a passerby whom he hoped would be sympathetic. Instead, the eyewitness to the incident assisted the woman down the street, asking Okwu, "Why don't you just leave her alone?" The incident sparked Julian Okwu's investigation into white people's reactions toward black men. Okwu also noticed that in all of 1994, Time magazine had only four photographic images of blacks on its cover -- OJ. Simpson's face photographically enhanced with dark shadows; Louis Farrakhan under the title "Minister of Rage;" a dying Rwandan baby and her fly-covered mother; and an apparent mugshot of a Chicago boy framed prominently by the words "Kill" and "Die." These stories of the men in Face Forward present a realistic and positive view of black manhood -- the struggles, successes and personal experiences with racism which have been endured by a broad spectrum of young black males. The subjects range from a photographer whose Kenyan father is of Pakistani descent and whose mother is white American to several young black men who went from squalid inner city childhoods to Ivy League campuses in search of education. Because the spitting incident provided the photographer with the impetus for the collection, each man was asked to relive and talk about a similar experience with racism, particularly one that occurred at a pivotal moment in their lives. The result is a frank depiction of the obstacles and triumphs of black men who are living real lives, right now. The stories in the book will motivate positive Black men to persevere and cause others to reexamine what they think they know about Black men. Okwu captures the essence of each individual, and judicious editing helped produce a read that illuminates and inspires. --LaMont Jones Jr.Emerge, A timely, intelligent, exuberant book. Face Forward is an engaging portrait of the black man of tomorrow. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. I would never say that I am a self-made man...I am the product of all these people and their blood, sweat, and tears. That notion of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is, I think, a very selfish, atheistic worldview. Martin Jones, Executive Vice President, United Image Entertainment