Question Bridge: Black Males (2009-2017)
Artist & Producer - Award-winning transmedia art project
Question Bridge: Black Males is an innovative transmedia project that facilitates dialogue between Black men from diverse backgrounds to represent Black male identity in America, bringing to the forefront the full spectrum of what it means to be "black" and "male." Created by Chris Johnson, Hank Willis Thomas, Bayeté Ross Smith and Kamal Sinclair, the project uses multiple video screens showing edited interviews that appear as conversations between participants, facilitating dialogue across political, class, geographic, and generational divisions within the African American male community. The project serves as a catalyst for constructive dialogue that helps deconstruct stereotypes about Black male identity while creating opportunities for understanding and healing through an intimate and genuine experience for over 3 million people.
Key Achievements
Publications and Digital Platforms - Launched successful interactive website, developed robust education curriculum implemented through AVID programs, school districts (NYC, Oakland, North Carolina and Los Angeles), and published acclaimed book under Aperture.
Exhibitions and Screenings (60+ venues) - including Brooklyn Museum, Oakland Museum of California, Cleveland Museum of Art, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Jack Shainman Gallery and more.
Awards and Recognition - 2015 International Center for Photography's Infinity Award for New Media, Sheffield Doc/Fest Audience Award Winner.
Fellowships - Sundance Institute's inaugural New Frontier Story Lab, Bay Area Video Coalition's New Media Institute, and Firelight Media Producers Institute
Financial Success - Secured $1 million in earned revenue and funding from multiple sources including Open Society Institute's Campaign for Black Male Achievement, Ford Foundation, California Endowment, Tribeca Film Institute's New Media Fund, LEF Foundation, and the Center for Cultural Innovation
Legacy and Preservation - Project archived at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (September 2016)
