BOYS IN THE FRONT SEAT
Boys in the Front Seat (2017) is a photography and documentary series that examines the roles of patriarchy and the power dynamics between Black men and women in heterosexual relationships.
Exposing the constraints of patriarchal gender roles and hyper-masculine expectations, these intimate portraits and personal stories show twenty Black men opening up about their innermost thoughts and feelings in their relationships with Black women.
In the documentary, I pose six questions:
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1. How do you feel about being in the front seat of a woman’s car?
2. Do you feel like you or men hold the majority of the power or decision-making in relationships with women?
3. Do you feel like you hold majority of the power in [your] relationships?
4. Do you feel like you or men have to obtain a certain persona in a relationship with a woman?
5. Do you feel like you have trouble expressing your emotions?
6. Why do you feel like you have trouble expressing your emotions?
Boys in the Front Seat grew from my realization that even as a college-educated feminist, I still gave so much of my power away to the men in the front seat of my car (literally and figuratively). I was the driver. I was in control, yet I willingly let the men in my front seat be my GPS. This series helped me take back that control, be more honest with men (and myself), and understand how patriarchy affects both men and women.
The Boys in the Front Seat exhibition was sponsored by Urban Outfitters, and premiered at Space 15 Twenty in Los Angeles, California, in 2017.
