The Black yearbook

Adraint Bereal

Book - 2024

"A gripping exploration of the joys, hardships, and truths of Black college students through intimate, honest conversations and stunning photography, with a foreword by Kiese Laymon. When photographer Adraint Bereal graduated from the University of Texas at Austin (UT), he self-published an impressive volume of portraits, personal statements, and interviews that explored UT's campus culture and offered an intimate look at the lives of Black students matriculating within a majority white space. Bereal's work was inspired by his first photo exhibition at the George Washington Carver Museum in Austin, entitled 1.7, which unearthed the experiences of the 925 Black men who made up just 1.7 percent of UT's total 52,000 student... body. In this book, Bereal expands the scope of his original project and visits colleges nationwide, from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) to predominantly white institutions (PWI) to trade schools and more. As a recent grad himself, Bereal meets these students where they are and holds a safe space for open dialogue. When paired with the poignant portraiture of student life, the result is a story of triumph amid the realities of personal and societal struggles. The Black Yearbook reframes society's stereotypical perception of higher education by representing and celebrating the wide range of Black experiences on campuses." -- more