I Was Born To A Black Childhood

I Suffered First As A Child From Discrimination, Poverty ... So I Think It Was A Natural Follow From That That I Should Use My Camera To Speak For People Who Are Unable To Speak For Themselves.

At First I Wasn't Sure That I Had The Talent, But I Did Know I Had A Fear Of Failure, And That Fear Compelled Me To Fight Off Anything That Might Abet It.

The Camera Could Be A Very Powerful Instrument Against Discrimination, Against Poverty, Against Racism.

I Picked Up A Camera Because It Was My Choice Of Weapons Against What I Hated Most About The Universe: Racism, Intolerance, Poverty. I Could Have Just As Easily Picked Up A Knife Or A Gun, Like Many Of My Childhood Friends Did... Most Of Whom Were Murdered Or Put In Prison... But I Chose Not To Go That Way. I Felt That I Could Somehow Subdue These Evils By Doing Something Beautiful That People Recognize Me By, And Thus Make A Whole Different Life For Myself, Which Has Proved To Be So.

The Guy Who Takes A Chance, Who Walks The Line Between The Known And Unknown, Who Is Unafraid Of Failure, Will Succeed.