Roland L. Freeman: Portfolio

Considered one of the most important documentarians of  twentieth century Black culture, Roland L. Freeman's body of work represents four decades African American life in the South, capturing folk traditions, rituals, and quieter moments of the human condition. Inspired by the writings of Zora Neale Hurston, the photographs of Gordon Parks, and the work of Roy DeCarava, Freeman's projects included "A Communion of the Spirits: African-American Quilters" (1996), "The Arabbers of Baltimore" (1989), and "The Mule Train: A Journey of Hope Remembered" (1998). The twelve photographs selected for Roland L. Freeman—Portfolio, first exhibited in 1997 at The Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, were selected from his life's work as representative of the cultural diversity and regional traditions of Black American life. See them at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, on exhibition until September. ogdenmuseum.org.