[The Artist: Shikeith] #BlackMenDream, the Photos

These are not models I photograph. These are people with stories to tell with experiences equally beautiful and tragic, and shared with my own. These are black men who have struggled with

ustom-banner ampforwp-incontent-ad1"> identity, battled depression, and buckled under the pressures society has burdened them with. The reality that resides in my photographs is unavoidable. The showcase of vulnerability and liberation, that does not subject us to objectification and criticism, is rare. These images reflect my life while disrobing the structural and cultural inequalities that have formed barriers that dictate the black male psychological perception of the world, each other, and ourselves.

“Black Boy” Self-Portrait, 2013

“Black Out” Self-Portrait, 2013

“Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops,” 2013

“Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops 2,” 2013

“Portrait of a Black Man, I” 2013

“Portrait of a Black Man, II” 2013

“Portrait of a Black Man, III” 2013

“Dreams in Black in White,” 2013