1001 Black Men #768

1001BlackMen768Web

 

I’m baaaaack.

It’s been an eventful last three weeks or so, and I haven’t had much time to add new posts. Even so, I’ve continued to create new drawings, and I have a bunch of new pieces to share.

Most of these new drawings were done while I was sitting by the window at Peet’s Coffee and Tea, on Fruitvale Avenue. Even though it’s been open for quite some time, I only started going there a couple months ago.

The staff is quite friendly, and the location is convenient to the local grocery store. My favorite place to sit is at the bar along the side window. It’s a great place for people watching, which also means it’s a perfect location for making drawings for this website. The crowd along this stretch of Fruitvale is wonderfully diverse. The brothers in and around this establishment are a true cross-section of Oakland men of African descent, from suits to saggers and beyond; and at a time when I’m feeling a little overwhelmed with stories of Black lives ended prematurely, I take great pleasure and hope from the sheer number and diversity of Black men I see going about their business in and outside of this coffee shop.

Ajuan Mance

 

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