Contrary to popular belief, dreadlocks can be a very high maintenance hairstyle. Whenever I see someone with beautiful locks, not only do I admire their hair, but I am also impressed by the level of effort that they are putting into maintaining that style. The Whole Foods in downtown Oakland seems to be a gathering place for people with amazing locks. This guy is just one of the many folks with well-groomed dreads who I’ve encountered there. Some days it’s like a hair show, with some of the most fabulous and creative natural Black hairstyles on view.
From time to time, I’ve heard people say that Black folks don’t shop at Whole Foods because its too expensive, it’s too far from Black neighborhoods, and it doesn’t sell the kinds of foods that African Americans like to eat. The reality of the Oakland and Berkeley Whole Foods stores, though, is that African Americans are some of their most frequent and faithful customers. The same is true of most of the other natural food stores in this area, as well as the farmer’s markets, and that’s a wonderful reflection on our East Bay Black community. This level of interest in natural foods will pay off down the road in less frequent diagnoses of diabetes, high blood pressure, and the other illnesses that afflict Black folks disproportionately.
Saw this guy outside the Safeway on Fruitvale near MacArthur. I drop in there from time to time to purchase organic grapefruit soda. My fabulous partner prefers Safeway Organics brand to some of the less corporate versions of the same thing. I was intruigued by this guy’s slight under bite, his seemingly hairless chin, and his slimness. He could have been anywhere between 18 and 30, and the look in his eyes suggested a lot more life experience than the average college-age kid, but the rest of him could have easily fit in at a high school. He wore a t-shirt that masqueraded his slight figure a little bit, but I could still tell he was thin for his height. I always wonder what it’s like to be a man who is shorter or thinner or in some other way less physically substantial than most. Do you get taken less seriously? Do you get bullied more? Do you have bad flashbacks from gym class dodgeball games? I’ve read that tall men make more money, run more Fortune 500 companies and are all-around more successful in virtually every aspect of life. Is that also true of thicker, more muscular guys? Do they generally have better outcomes (in some areas) than the skinny non-muscular types? If so, then what are the benefits of being less physically commanding or imposing? There must be some. Are such guys more compassionate or sympathetic to outsiders? Do they live longer? Have less accidents? Every type of physical difference has its benefits. It’s just that sometimes it takes a while to figure out what those benefits might be.
There are the brothers on the court who are tall and wide, and then there are the brothers who are on the shorter side. In the NBA, the shortest guys are always some of the most dynamic. Players like Spud Webb (5′ 7″) and Muggsy Bogues (5′ 3″) more than earned the respect of both their teammates and the fans with their highlight-reel playing skills. At the gym, I’ve noticed the same sort of dynamic. The shorter guys tend to work a little harder than all the other players. Even among adults, far removed from those high school gym classes where some of the shortest guys were picked last, the guys who look the least like your typical athlete have to work a little harder to earn the recognition of their peers. The guy in this drawing is a case in point. He was sweating so much that his shirt was sticking to him like a second skin, he was running harder and breathing harder than anyone else in his half-court game, and he seemed to be everywhere at all times. He was like a hydra. One guy would cut him off, and then he would seem to materialize on the other side of the court. He was not a natural born rebounder, but he was an amazing blocker, and the way he moved his arms in front of the other players faces made him seem like he had an 80-inch wingspan. Mad props to the short brother who works harder.
I gotta love the big ol’ brothas on the basketball court. There are always a lot of tall Black men on the basketball courts at my gym. Some brothers, however, are both tall and wide, and there’s something kind of awesome about those Black men who don’t let size keep them out of the game. This guy wasn’t necessarily sprinting up and down the court, but from his spot under the basket, he was a killer at getting rebounds. He wasn’t trying to earn a triple double, but he pulled off a single double with much flair.
Have you ever been to the Harrison St. Whole Foods at dinner time. It’s swarming with people picking up a quick dinner on their way home for work. The deli and food bar, in particular, represent fast food at its best. Unlike McDonald’s, Burger King, and Taco Bell, Whole Foods ready-to-eat items are made of real food. And the working folks of Oakland just love this place. Anyone who thinks Black people don’t care about healthy, natural food has never gone to the Whole Foods in downtown Oakland between 5 and 7pm, where African American shoppers are out in force, asking for samples, checking ingredients, and using their dollars to support a different approach to quick and easy meals. My natural foods preference in Farmer Joe’s Market on Fruitvale Ave., but that doesn’t prevent me from really, truly enjoying the experience of being surrounding by men and women of African descent who are trying to put better, healthier food into their bodies.
I saw these three men at three separate moments in San Francisco, during a recent trip to Fisherman’s Wharf. I was showing an old college friend one of my favorite places to get coleslaw and fried fish. I created a composite drawing that uses the fact that all three were wearing striped shirts as a unifying element.
For my second 500 drawings I am interested in depicting those African American men that I have largely overlooked during my first 500 drawings. Among those constituencies that I am rarely depict are homeless Black men, which is kind of peculiar, because there are a number of homeless guys who I see and with whom I speak on a regular basis. This is one such person who I’ve run into a few times near the Safeway that’s across the street from the Fruitvale branch of the Oakland Public Library. We have exchanged hellos, but we’ve never actually had a conversation. I’ve never forgotten the way his too-thin frame accommodated a tucked-in sweater a bit too easily. The way the tongue of his belt hung down way past his pocket suggested that he was both dramatically underfed and dressed in the clothing of a much larger person. There is an unassuming dignity in the way he carries himself, and his gaze suggests that he’s seen more in his one lifetime than most people might encounter in three. I hope to print this drawing soon and to hand this gentleman a copy next time I’m in his area.
This guy was leaning on the counter at Gaylord’s on Piedmont Avenue, but he was such a natty dresser, and his style was such a unique twist on classic men’s style that I decided to provide him with a classically-inspired podium as his arm rest.
