Jamel Shabazz

Jamel Shabazz is a documentary photographer whose 50-year career has made him one of the most important chroniclers of Black American life. Born in Brooklyn in the 1960s, he learned photography from his father, a Navy photographer who converted their family home into a studio.

After serving three years in the U.S. Army, Shabazz returned to Brooklyn in 1980 and began documenting street life and culture. His breakthrough came with landmark books Back in the Days and A Time Before Crack, which captured hip-hop culture during pivotal moments in American history.

While building his photography career, Shabazz spent 20 years working at Rikers Island during the crack and AIDS epidemics. This experience shaped his understanding of photography as "visual medicine" that can heal both photographer and subject. He has published 15 books and always provides copies to the people he photographs, building trust with communities that typically distrust outsiders. (Instagram)