A photographic celebration and exploration of Black identity and
experience through the twentieth century from the founder and curator
of the hit multimedia platform Black Archives.
"Browsing the book ultimately feels like looking through one
immense family photo album. And that's intentional."--Essence
Renata Cherlise's family loved capturing their lives in photographs
and home movies, sparking her love of archival photography. Following
in her family's footsteps, Cherlise established Black Archives, which
presents a nuanced representation of Black people across time living
vibrant, ordinary lives. Through the platform, many have discovered
and shared images of themselves and their loved ones experiencing
daily life, forming multidimensional portraits of people, places, and
the Black community. These photographs not only tell captivating
stories, they hold space for collective memory and kinship.
Black Archives is a stunning collection of timeless images
that tell powerful, joyful stories of everyday life and shed light on
Black culture's dynamic, enduring influence through the generations.
The images showcase reunions, nights out on the town, parents and
children, church and school functions, holidays, big life events,
family vacations, moments at home, and many more occasions of
leisure, excitement, reflection, and pride.
Featuring more than three hundred images that spotlight the iconic
and the candid, Black Archives offers a nuanced compendium of
Black memory and imagination.