Jarrel Phillips explores Black culture and presence in America and the African diaspora through film and photography. Phillips’ stories unfold from his first-hand experience growing up Black in San Francisco and observing the African diaspora through his travels in the United States, Ethiopia, Haiti, Uganda, Tanzania, Egypt, Brazil, and more.

A note from Jarrel Phillips on “The Souls of Black Folk"

Through my work, I aim to recognize and honor the joy, grace and glory I have had the privilege of witnessing and documenting. My ability to travel has granted me access to a global perspective that extends beyond the Western European outlook and into other Black cultures. My journeys allow me the opportunity to continuously and actively reconcile what  W.E.B. Du Bois refers to as the ‘double self’ and/or ‘double consciousness’. 

I want my work to both counter and balance the dominant narratives of despair and powerlessness that is pervasively utilized to portray our people and communities. The struggles do exist, but this depiction is incomplete and, therefore, misleading.