EP 49 GREGORY WALKER

Gregory Walker In his own words: “I was born and raised in Suburban Connecticut in the 1960s and 70s. I have lived in seven US cities including San Francisco, Atlanta, Fort Greene Brooklyn, Washington DC, Baltimore, Evanston Illinois, New Haven Connecticut and Philadelphia Pennsylvania during the last several decades. My passion for the Arts started as a young boy upon visiting the Wadsworth Atheneum on a school trip. I was fascinated and enjoy the images in the museum but became particularly excited when I stumbled upon the banjo lesson. The image was so striking to me reminded me of my own grandfather the image shows an older black man teaching a younger black boy how to play the banjo the image stayed with me in my head never knowing the artist never knowing the significance never knowing why that was the only image of black people of black men in particular otherwise worth Athenaeum the image stayed ingrained in my head for a very long time. In an art history class the image one day reappeared on the overhead projector I was shocked to see this image in my art history class the study of American art and art around the world. From This Moment On I became intrigued by the images painted by black men for black men about black men. My passion for the intersection of black men and the Arts has been something in my entire life. In every role in every position in every job I've held I have always included the intersection of the Arts and black men. I believe deeply in the transformative power of the Arts not only for black men but for the society at Large. My career trajectory has taken me from leading Public Health initiatives in New York City to helping to provide prevention and education programs for black men on a national level from my office in San Francisco. Watch the interview video HERE