Category Archives: Beards

Ajuan Mance, Alameda, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Bearded Men, Beards, Black Men

1001 Black Men #895

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My fabulous partner and I were out doing last-minute costume shopping on Halloween, and we made the obligatory stop at the craft store. The fabric section was surprisingly quiet. I’d expected to see people looking through the bolts of vinyl, felt, and fake fur. Instead, we were two of only a handful of shoppers in that section of the store, and this guy was one of them. I don’t even think he was looking for anything related to Halloween. He was browsing through some lovely vintage-style floral fabrics that seemed best suited for draperies, wallpaper, or table cloths. Perhaps he was going to be window dressing for Halloween, or maybe even a classic Victorian parlor.

Ajuan Mance

Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Bearded Men, Beards, Black Men, Humboldt County

1001 Black Men #888

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Here’s another portrait from Garberville, CA.  Every year, a group of my friends travel to this town to hang out poolside, eat lots of food, and enjoy a weekend of doing absolutely nothing. This is one of the people who was in our group, and I sketched him while he lounged around the pool. He was friendly and, as you can tell from his beard, he was impeccably groomed. I also appreciate that when my partner told him I drew his picture, he seemed pleasantly surprised. He wanted me to show him the sketch, but I didn’t want to show him the drawing until it was completely done. That was four months ago. I’m kind of embarrassed by how long it took, but I’ll make sure he gets to see it.

Ajuan Mance

Ajuan Mance, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Bearded Men, Beards, Hats, Oakland

1001 Black Men #883

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Purple and green is one of my favorite color combinations. It’s one of the reasons I like Wimbledon so much. (I think that makes the wrong kind of tennis fan.) My love of purple and green is also one of the reasons I particularly like this drawing. The man in this drawing was wearing the most wonderful purple sweater, with matching purple glasses and an olive green shirt.

On the day I saw him, I was already in a good mood. It was my first trip to Sweet Bar Bakery, and I’d had the most wonderful plate of chicken salad there. Then I ran into an old friend, and we laughed and drank iced tea and talked about our creative projects. When this man walked in to the bakery, with his remarkable purple and green ensemble, it was the perfect exclamation point on what had already been a pretty great day.

I’ve gone back to Sweet Bar several times since, but I haven’t seen the guy in the purple sweater and eyeglass frames. Then again, I’m not sure I’d even recognize him if he wasn’t wearing purple.

Ajuan Mance

Afro, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Bearded Men, Beards, Black Men, Brooklyn

1001 Black Men #855

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I’ve lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1999. I moved here because of a job, but I stay for the weather. In this part of the country, it never gets colder than about 45 °F, and that’s usually in the winter months. Imagine my surprise when, on our first night in Brooklyn, the temperature dropped to 34. It was near the end of April, and it never occurred to us to bring gloves or scarves or heavy coats. I don’t even own a winter coat anymore, and the 15 block walk down Court Street, from Caputo’s Bakery to our hotel, constituted the coldest 20 minutes I’ve experienced in a very long time. The man in this drawing was one of several locals we passed on the way, and his knit cap and down jacket reminded me that once, many years ago, I too knew how to dress properly for winter weather.

Ajuan Mance

Afro, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Bearded Men, Beards, Black Men, Brooklyn

1001 Black Men #844

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The weather in Brooklyn was wildly inconsistent. By the end of the trip, it was somewhere in the high 60s (Farenheit). The first evening I was there, though, it was so cold I thought my fingers were going to freeze and drop off. Since it was April, I didn’t bring a warm coat or even a sweater, and the first night served up some mid-30s temperatures that reminded me of why I’m glad I live in California.

On our first night in the city, this guy was standing in front of a nearby Italian bakery. I simply did not understand how he could possibly be standing outside in nothing but a t-shirt and khakis. If he was jogging or doing some sort of physical labor, it might have made sense to me; but he was really just standing around looking bored.

I know I have lost my tolerance for very cold weather, but this man was some kind of superhero. I hope to run into him again, some day. If I look a little more closely, I just might be able to see his cape.

Ajuan Mance

Afro, Ajuan Mance, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Bearded Men, Beards, Black Men, Brooklyn

1001 Black Men #843

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At Sugarcane Restuarant, 238 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, New York.

***

One of the highlights of my Brooklyn trip was our dinner at Sugarcane, a Caribbean restaurant on Flatbush Ave. It’s a wonderfully appointed establishment, with silver paint and glass tiles on the walls, dimmed lighting, and wonderful black and white photos on each of the walls. A streaming music service played a steady mix of dancehall, reggae classics, and contemporary R&B.

The mood and decor of the place struck a nice balance between comfy and cool. It was welcoming while still feeling modern and edgy, and the almost exclusively Black crowd ranged from groups of cool 20-somethings to middle-aged couples. (Me and my fabulous partner fell into the latter.)

The food was close to perfect. I had Jerk Chicken Wings followed by a Jerk Chicken Salad. The salad was served with a deliciously savory mango vinaigrette dressing, and the Jerk chicken was absolutely amazing. The wings were flavorful and juicy and the sauce tasted fresh.

We loved our meal so much that, on our last night in Brooklyn, we went back to Sugarcane for the final dinner of our trip.

Ajuan Mance

Ajuan Mance, Art, Black Men, African American, Artist, Bearded Men, Beards, Black Men, Cafe, Oakland, San Leandro

1001 Black Men #835

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I first noticed the man in this picture at Zocalo cafe in San Leandro. Part of the reason he caught my attention is because I’d been reading a lot about Black dandies and preppies, and he reminded me of the men in The Black Ivy, that amazing photo gallery at streetetiquette.com. A few days later, I spotted him a second time, in downtown Oakland. I’d never seen this man anywhere before, and all of a sudden we were crossing paths twice in one week. If the universe was telling me to make him one of my 1001 Black Men, then who was I to say no.

Ajuan Mance