International Center of Photography
Interviewed by Director Willis Hartshorn
Fall 1995 ICP Exhibition of “Feeling the Spirit” Interviewed by the Director, Willis Hartshorn
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elcome to ICP’s Fall Programs — our twenty-first consecutive year of exhibition and education offerings. This year, as in the past, the schedule is filled with the diversity and breath of programs that speak to the richness of the world of photography. This October, ICP will host a major exhibition and a series of educational programs surrounding the work of Chester Higgins Jr. It is ICP’s honor to feature this highly regarded photojournalist and his vibrant portrait of African identity. Through photographs, Chester tells the story of the life and times of people of African descent, dispersed throughout the world. I took the opportunity to catch up with Chester on a humid day in July to discuss his life-long photographic project. It is always revealing to talk with Chester, for his enthusiasm is captivating and inspirational. WILLIS HARTSHORN: All your work shares the universal themes of respect, reverence and spirituality. Yet throughout the world we witness so many injustices. Could you talk about the internal and external forces that have guided your career in photography? CHESTER HIGGINS JR: I began photographing in my hometown in Alabama. When I was coming of age politically, I found that the portrayals of my community in the media were one-dimensional. What I saw was limited and biased — images of my people that were pathological or showed those on the fringes of society. We are human, and as humans, we share all the many different manifestations of life. At the time I was coming to grips with this discrepancy, I was trying to figure out what my participation in the civil rights movement would be. I was not a soldier of the civil rights movement, so to speak — I was not the person going in front of cops, but I knew I wanted to be a participant. At Tuskegee University I had the good fortune to meet the photographer, P. H. Polk. His work showed me what photography could be — that it could give me the ability to make pictures that were never represented in the media. When I first realized this, I did not intend to make a statement about African Americans. But by photographing my community — at home and at school — I got involved in all of our lives, and all of our lives were about civil rights. WH: It is revealing that your interest in photography grew from you desire to participate in the civil rights movement, a movement in part sustained through the power of media images. How useful is photography in correcting a biased, often negative image of African Americans? Brooklyn, New York
CH: Civil rights was the catalyst that started me photographing. Photography came into my life as I was becoming more and more aware that one did
Harlem, New York
not have to accept racism — one could fight it. I began to see photography as a vehicle for my own personal growth. Because it is a universal language, photography presents information to which people can immediately respond. As such, photography was the perfect medium for me to communicate with both the black and white communities — to be a connector, a bridge. I search for images that show the decency, dignity and virtuous character of my people — images that reflect moments of solace. It’s almost like using the photograph as a sanctuary. WH: Your perspective is unique, because I think that typically people feel that the best way to rectify a wrong is to show images of violation…images that are negative. Yet, you have taken the position of showing photographs that project positive images. And you have been working over many decades, through which there was a period of great optimism and now a period of increased pessimism and concern over what was and is racism in our country. Why do you choose to take that positive point of view and ignore the more violent and oppressive things that are going on? CH: Because the positive in the African American community is not being looked at enough I concentrate on what is neglected and goes unseen. I am not needed to tell the negative part of the story because so many people tell it so well. The negative point of view has a purpose, as does the positive. The negative can encourage humanitarians to make change. But I believe that real, lasting change comes from within. I want to provide a positive model — to show what can be and inspire change from within. It’s important to understand the limits of constantly exhibiting violent or oppressive situations in a community. At some point it can create paralysis. It can discourage people by making them feel emotionally overwhelmed and unequipped to remedy a situation. Too often people are defined by their condition and their humanity is overlooked. I believe freedom comes from within. Ultimately oppressed people can only be freed by themselves. We have to determine how to take complete responsibility for our actions and how to find renewal within our own individual psyche. In my work, I look for positive reinforcing models. I’m saying look here are some examples — ordinary people living ordinary lives but they have an extraordinary sense of who they are and what they are about. Salvation has to come from the people. The people must see themselves as a means of their own deliverance. WH: This is an incredibly complex project. It’s taken 26 years? CH: Yes. 26 years. And it will take the rest of my life. WH: You’ve taken this journey. It’s no longer just in Tuskegee, and it’s no longer just in New York, it’s all over the world. You have said that your goal is to pull together a collective portrait that captures the essence of the African and human personality. What made you decide on this?
New Bockton, Alabama
CH: Because it doesn’t exist. Taking on a challenge that is immensely rewarding to me. I see a vacuum in need of filling. It is important that African Americans have some sort of connection to who we are and what our poten-
Mopti, Mali
tial can be. With my camera I have tried to reconnect the world of Diaporan Africans with continental Africans. With a knowledge of what our culture has accomplished historically, we can begin to see ourselves within a timeline — to learn to put into perspective the period of bondage. I am simply reconnecting African people — telling a new story of an ancient people. WH: How do you think people respond to pictures that show a more positive view of life and strength within the community? CH: Among African American people, the response is a feeling of enhanced self-esteem. The positive image becomes an lighthouse on the horizon. Among European Americans, I think these positive images can reveal something that they may never have thought of when considering African people. I believe this new information can affect our awareness of each other and ourselves. It can make the whole act of living — what I call the whole genius of living — a little more exciting and show that even though we may be different, we are still very much alike. WH: How has this photographic project changed the way you perceive yourself and your community? CH: It has broadened my view of myself — forced me to see beyond my neighborhood, my city, my country. I appreciate our world community; we African Americans are members of the larger African Diaspora. When I travel to Africa, I see people who truly have a sense of themselves, not because they’re black but because they know their Africanness. By showing this whole African world, I hope to broaden our sense of the world — to show the African personality unfettered by American racism. We’re all in need of replenishing. We’re all in need of positive inspiration. You know, life is short, too short. Happiness is hard to come by. But skills and awareness can make life better and encourage new young minds to continue to explore and discover their identity. WH: Thank You. Educational Programs: In Conversation In Conversation is a three-part series of dialogues which celebrates the extraordinary vision of people of African descent and is held in conjunction with the exhibition, Feeling the Spirit: Searching the World for the People of Africa, by Chester Higgins Jr. In what ways does religion serve to link people of African descent? What common threads are woven through this fabric of spirituality? How is the image of women of color shaped by men and society? Who defines the image of African Americans and how do these definitions serve to maintain the status quo? 1. Mirror of African Spirituality 2. Redefining the Image of a People 3. Imaging Women: Female Representation