Look Who it Was Random video

Stereotypes: Photography by Kevin J. Briggs

729 views · Published 22 January 2016 · 41:27 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: GBH Forum Network · 2016 · Education

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As an African American male, Mr. Briggs experienced several episodes throughout his life that deeply affected him and left him with the acute realization that in these instances he was not being seen as an individual, but rather as a racial stereotype. Seen above, the initial image that became the catalyst for this series is a deeply moving self portrait where Mr. Briggs stands in his 2-piece business suit in front of a black backdrop with racial slurs projected across his face, body, and background. After living with this image for sometime Mr. Briggs realized that this powerful statement could be applied to many different groups of people.
STEREOTYPES focuses on race, faith, gender, and orientation, illuminating the continued push for social awareness and acceptance. On race, the artist focuses the viewer’s gaze on African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Native Americans. Gender looks solely at women. Faith directs the viewer to look at Judaism and Islam. For orientation, the artist looks at gay women and men, same-sex marriage, and transgenderism. The artist focuses his attention on the groups that on a global perspective are still subjected to persecution, negative views and/or bigotry in the media and in everyday general society. For each of the subject groups, the catalog of slurs that are assigned or cast upon a community represent the conscious and unconscious bias that the people in these communities are subjected to. The artist hopes to awaken the viewer’s mind to their own implicit and explicit bias that they may or may not be aware of.

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