If I can make work that begins to transcend difference while locating a common humanity that we all share, a radical reshaping of the world is possible, one person at a time.
—Dawoud Bey

Dawoud Bey’s 1970s photographs of Harlem present a moment and place, but in ways that reflect many moments, many places. Harlem, U.S.A., he calls the series: this, Harlem, is the United States.

Together, the images offer glimpses of the specific everyday lives of people while evoking the diversity of a neighborhood. Bey’s photographs, like Zanele Muholi’s at left, fight stereotyping by celebrating individuality.

From the exhibition: Give a damn. (June 30 – September 30, 2018)

“Driving through the crowded streets, I was amazed by what appeared to be the many people on vacation. It seemed to me that no matter what the day, every day was Saturday in Harlem.” —Dawoud Bey

From the exhibition: Where Words Falter: Art and Empathy (July 9 – December 18, 2022)