(Black PR Wire) The Mary McLeod Bethune Center for the Study of Women and Girls and the Carl Swisher Library are co-hosting a new portraiture exhibition on the campus of Bethune-Cookman University.

Kenneth Grant Inzpirations curated the Cultuvue interactive photography exhibit “to transform the way we perceive African Americans, countering the negative cultural stereotypes prevalent in mainstream media and society,” according to the group’s website. James and LaToya Carey, the masterminds behind Cultuvue, said they were dismayed to find only stereotypical depictions of Black men when they googled the phrase in 2020.

The free exhibit is on display in the Performing Arts Center through May 5, and features a number of individuals from the B-CU community, including B-CU Director of Choirs and Assistant Professor of Voice Karl Van Richards; Director of Accounts Payable Ms. Lillie B. Wiggins; and Ms. Davita Bonner, M.S., Director, Community and Civic Engagement in the department of Innovation and Leadership Development.

“Our students are not often afforded the opportunity to see themselves represented in art in this way,” said Dr. Crystal A. deGregory, director of the Mary McLeod Bethune Center for the Study of Women and Girls. “It is important for us to be intentional about exposing our students to art, and particularly to art that represents themselves and their community in positive ways.”

A study released by the National Research Group in 2020 found that two in three African Americans do not feel they see their stories or themselves represented in the media.

"Our findings motivated us to fill a void,” the Careys said in a statement on their website. James serves as the exhibit’s featured photographer, and together, they endeavor to transform photographs into full, interactive stories. “Our exhibitions aim to transform the way we perceive African Americans, countering the negative cultural stereotypes prevalent in mainstream media and society.”

“By showcasing these positive images and their accompanying narratives, we provide an insightful and free-of-charge curated exhibition experience,” they said in a press release announcing the exhibit’s arrival at BCU. “Our goal is to promote visual literacy, fostering communication and understanding among diverse ethnic groups.”

Since its first year in 2021, the exhibit has continued to expand its reach; this year, the exhibit is on tour around Central Florida with the hopes of spreading the founders’ love for their people and love for sharing positive images to inspire the next generation. 

“Transforming the cultural perception of a group of people in order to efface the negative narrative and replace it with positive imagery is what we do,” they said. “From our beginnings in 2021, we have been committed to that goal.”

Source: Bethune-Cookman University