Talk About It Tuesday: Cycles of Displacement

This special Talk About it Tuesday will be held inside Wells Fargo Auditorium at Knight Theater. Charlotte's Alvin C. Jacobs, Jr. and multidisciplinary artist Anthony Patterson from Durham will discuss the ways they use art, storytelling, and photography to explore how urban renewal and gentrification have been used to erase black communities. They will focus on both Durham "Bull City" and Charlotte's Brookhill Village and the neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Alvin C. Jacobs, Jr., a native of Rockford, IL, is a professional photographer and image activist currently living in Charlotte. A transplant to the Queen City, Jacobs honed his craft on the front lines of America's social justice movements. He has since emerged as a premier photographer and photo-documentarian. His distinctive aesthetic is marked by a propensity toward highlighting stark contrast and in dealing in the black & white – both in photography and in the world. Jacobs specializes in social documentary and professional sports, portrait, editorial, and fashion photography. He has been commissioned by the NFL, NBA, and NASCAR. Prior to shooting Welcome to Brookhill, Jacobs was commissioned to photograph multiple record breaking dates for Jay Z's 4:44 Tour.

Anthony Patterson is a Durham based documentary artist interested in uncovering hidden or forgotten stories throughout history. His work is rooted in painting, but spans across multiple mediums including installation, storytelling, and photography. In addition to exhibitions throughout North Carolina, Anthony has: taught small classes, led workshops, participated in panel discussions, and co-curated in partnership with the Black On Black Project.

Recent exhibitions include "Have You Heard" at the North Carolina School for Science and Mathematics, "Process Is Work" at the DAG Golden Belt Gallery in Durham, and "Gifts From My Grandfather" at Artspace in Raleigh.

Anthony currently serves as the Durham Art Guild / Black On Black Project Artist in Residence, and an Emerging Documentary Artist at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.