Capturing the Essence of Black Culture
Experience joy and love through powerful photography of Africa.
Capturing the Essence of Black Culture
Experience joy and love through powerful photography of Africa.
About Howard T. Cash
Our Vision
Brief Look
A brief look at my professional photographic resume:
Past Selected Solo Exhibitions:
- 2022: “Joy, Love and Celebration,” Strivers’ Row Gardens Art Gallery, Harlem, NY
- 2020: “Celebrating the Spirit of, Nigeria, Ghana and African-Americans-Photography
- by Howard T. Cash,” ArtSteps Virtual Exhibition (Online)
- 2010: “Fela: The Artist-The Man,” Canvas, Paper and Stone Gallery, (Harlem, NY)
- 2002: “Up from the Gullah,” MetLife, (Harlem, NY)
- 2000: “Celebrating the Spirit of Nigeria,” Countee Cullen Library, (Harlem, NY)
- 1980: “Children’s Exhibition,” Museum Kitchen, (Lagos Nigeria)
- 1979: “The Year of the Child,” Photography Department, Los Angeles City College,
- (Los Angeles, CA)
- 2015: Mr. Cash’s work, under its new Executive Director, Dr. Khalil Muhammad was
- included into the Permanent Collection of Photographs and Prints Division of the
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
Selected Group Exhibitions:
- 2025: “A Photographer’s State Of Mind” Bronx Art Space (The Bronx, NY)
- 2024: “LONG JOURNEY FORWARD: BLACK MEN IN PASSAGE” (Manhattan, NY)
- 2022: “Fela Anikulapo-Kuti-Rebellion Afrobeat,” Philharmonie de Paris, (Paris, France)
- 2020: “Visions 1020,” Wilmer Jennings Gallery, (New York, NY)
- 2018: “The Black Panther Party,” Association of International Photography Art Dealers,
- (AIPAD) (New York, NY)
- 2011: “Harlem Views: Diasporan Visions,” Schomburg Center for Research in Black
- Culture, (Harlem, NY)
- 2006: “Saving Grace: Rebuilding Our Lives After Hurricane Katrina,” Wilmer Jennings
- Gallery (Manhattan, NY)
- 2003: “This is Lagos,” Skoto Gallery, (New York, NY)
- 2000: “Committed to the Image: A Half Century of Black Photographers in America,”
- Brooklyn, Museum, (Brooklyn, NY)
- Mr. Cash was the first American photographer to freelance in Nigeria (1979-’84).
Journeys Captured: howardtcashphotography.com Photography Collection
Me and My Baby
It was 1977 and I was studying photography at Los Angeles City College (LACC) in
California. A few of my fellow photographers, Kenny, Eric and I decided to leave the
Hollywood area and walk around the city for photographs, way before the appearance
of homeless tent cities in Downtown LA. When this beautiful couple emerged before me, his arm around her waist, her sheltering him from the
The Vendor
Even before seeing “Roots” on television I always wanted to visit Africa. It was through Operation Crossroads Africa in 1978, where Ghana became my entree onto the Motherland. Taking a stroll through Accra, Ghana’s Makola Market, in the mist of many people moving about, I came across this young ice-cream vendor filled with pride for himself and his business.
This was 1978, I wonder where
Reflections
There were children everywhere because Nigerians, especially the Yorubas, believe in
big families. Everybody looked out for the children. That saying, “It takes a village,” was true in our area. Our compound was filled with many beautiful children finding special spaces around the buildings to gather their thoughts, reflect on their lives. I looked to my left and there she was, wrapped i
Moments in Time: howardtcashphotography.com Photography Exhibit
My Little Sister-#4 Kalajayie Street, Igbobi
One morning, I came out of my room in Nigeria, feeling weak. I sat on the bench in the hallway. Baba Femi’s daughter and the sister to young Femi and Mulara (seen in the photograph) came over, felt my forehead and said, “You have malaria!” She immediately went to the market, purchased some Agbo leaves, boiled them, covered my head with a blanket, had me
Listen to Me
In 1981, Paul of Time Insurance assigned me the coverage contract of photographing George and Louis of the Brothers Johnson on their sightseeing visit to Bar Beach on
Victoria Island in Lagos, along with their backup dancers Miriam and Valerie. It was a
beautiful day! The beach was full of hazy sunshine as saltwater breezes caressed our faces. As we stood in the sand, taking in the warm,
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti Black President
An early weekday morning of 1982, I and Swedish freelance journalist, Lief Sorenson
found ourselves, knocking on the home door in Ikeja of Nigeria’s Afro-beat’s pioneer musician, requesting an interview about Nigeria’s prolific music scene from Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, for Lief’s media outlets in Sweden. Fela politely answered all Lief’s
questions and invited us to att
Stories of love within universal blackness
Conversations With Grandma
In 1983, my good friend Bongos asked me to photograph the compound where he grew
up in downtown Lagos Island, which held many of his childhood memories, called Layeni Court. Because of the building’s age and the government's modernization of the area, he thought they were going to tear it down. After covering the whole compound, I found myself humbled in the presence o
Jubilation
“Jubilation!” Bazil Okafor, staff writer for the Sunday Concord Newspaper in Lagos, came to me in ‘83, all excited about Dr. Lambo of the World Health Organization speaking in Akure, Nigeria and insisted I photograph the ceremony. You see, when the Yorubas get together for social events, whether it’s a wedding, birthday or baby naming ceremony, the party usually goes until morning and th
In Search Of
“In Search Of” is a 2002 image that lives inside my e-book of my original photography
poetry, designed by Edgar Torres and copyrighted in 2013, entitled “Love is Alive.” Here
is a taste!
© Howard T. Cash (2013)
Trying to find my Baby Boo
My mind is clear
Photographs that connect Africa and its diaspora
Dress Rehearsal-Uptown Dance Academy
This opportunity occurred through a referral from New York’s Dyane Harvey-Salaam, Principal Dancer of Harlem’s Forces of Nature Dance Company, to Robin Williams, founder, director, choreographer and professional dancer. Robin can modestly boast of students at Juilliard and landing performances on Broadway, with Alvin Ailey, Cirque du Soleil, and many other enter
Lover’s Delight
“Lover’s Delight” is part of a larger body of work which I’ve put together in an E-book entitled “Love is Alive.” This body of work became therapy for me, adjusting to the cultural ignorance of too many Black Americans. It represents a holding on to the essence of love because too many Black women didn’t support my quest towards the understanding of myself.
These beautiful photograp
Angels on the Beach
It was 2004, and I was out of bed and on the platform of the #2 Train from The Bronx to Brooklyn at 3 am. We were told to arrive at St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn by 5 am in order to board their bus to Beach Avenue 57 at Rockaway Beach for their Sunrise Service. Pulling about twenty pounds of camera equipment on a luggage cart, my arrival was right on time. Every
Celebrating life through the lens of diversity
Confessions at Dawn
The Maafa Festival of 2004 at Far Rockaway in Queens, NY, has many stories to tell. After the sun had risen, many celebrants took this spiritual opportunity of purging
secrets within their souls. It was a time for reverence, another day had brought us together with the spirits of our ancestors, a time to rejoice in the blessings of life, renew friendships and ask God for forgiven
The Woodard Family
Tragic images on television of the devastation created by 2005 Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana, coupled with tears streaming down the face of Knicks forward
Stephon Marbury, caught my attention. It was at the beckoning my photographic
colleague Russell Fredrick from Brooklyn, NY, who said, “Howard, you need to go down there,” so I organized my resources and headed to th
The Next Generation-In Praise of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba
In 2018, I set out to cover the side of Islam that celebrates the humanity of its culture, dispelling the notion of terroristic acts associated with the Islamic community. This led me to Harlem’s annual summer celebration of the Senegalese spiritual leader, Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, known as “The Servant of the Messenger.” In 1887, he established th
Capturing moments of joy and celebration
My Happy Place
From my early days, Chicago, Illinois, has always been a wonderful destination for our
family. My grandmother, who hailed from Little Rock, Arkansas, had six daughters. As
adults, five of them settled in Chicago while my mother moved to New York City. She
was always visiting her sisters and once in a while, she would send me to Aunt
Margaret’s for the summer, who had about 12 kids (yeah,
A Moment’s Pause
#4 Kalajayie Street at Igbobi, Lagos, was my permanent residence in Nigeria for several
years. Our compound hailed Nigerians from all parts of the country: The North and
Eastern Regions merged in Southern Lagos, the economic hub of Nigeria. It was
Nigerian culture times ten and I was loving every moment.
The nightlife was festive with clubs like Bobby Benson’s Hotel Bobby Night Club. t
Spirits in Motion
It took me a while to feel the spirit of photography in my veins. A major help was
attending African dance classes. In 2001 I found myself in the Union Square area of NYC, photographing at the Djoniba Dance Studio. Watching these magnificent dancers glide across the floor, taking in those beautiful sounds of African drummers, transformed
me back into Nigeria’s festive performances.
E
Stories of love within universal blackness
A Waltz with My Father
A Debutante’s Ball is a formal coming-out party of good manners, grooming and social
etiquette for young women but also attended by teenage boys. Primarily a southern
tradition, this one was hosted by a church in The Bronx in 2004 and held at a luxurious
ballroom in Pelham, NY. It’s a formal occasion with weeks of preparation resulting in that
special night of long flowing white
It’s All Good
This was Sunday in 2000 at Orchard Beach in the Boogie Down Bronx, NY, where
drumming in the vein of African culture, lit up the grove with lively dancing and chanting
in the Yoruba tradition. In The Bronx, they gather to party with a purpose, letting the
rhythms seep into their souls to celebrate the wonderful power of their African ancestry.
This adherence to the African drum didn’t su
Going Home
In 2000, I began a black and white film photography project in Harlem, New York,
entitled “Sunday, Sunday.” Sundays! Days when African-Americans traditionally dressed
up for church to collectively read The Bible, praise Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,
revel in God’s passion, sharing food, fun, conversations and gossip.
During those wretched days of enslavement, Sunday services represented
Photographs that connect Africa and its diaspora
Flying High
Photographing dance is a spiritual and artistic pleasure. The quickness and
unpredictability of their movements lend themselves to sports photography. These
young women, under the direction of director and choreographer Robin Williams, are
performing their annual Nutcracker Suite at Hostos College in the Boogie Down Bronx,
NY.
In front of this 2002 packed audience, weeks of hard work and dis
Femi Kuti
Whenever Femi hit NYC, he would light up the evening. It was 2002 at Prospect Park in
Brooklyn, New York, as Femi hit the audience hard with his Afrobeat rhythms,
reminiscent of his father’s high-energy stage presence, along with two beautiful back-up
singers/dancers, combining entertainment with education.
They Saw a Ghost
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 took a big bite out of the Gulf Coast. Property, people and
wildlife were all at her mercy. The Atlantic Ocean became a villain to the shore. The
ocean’s roar brought silence to wildlife; People abandoned their homes, and Biloxi
casinos shut down. Boats had to take the brunt of its fury. Mother Nature was speaking
in angry tongues.
The human questions were, “Ho
A journey through African beauty and culture
Three of a Kind
With the amount of time, I spent in West Africa (four years), people often asked me,
“Where are you from?” I’d reply, “Harlem and The Bronx.” We lived in Fredrick Douglass
Houses, located on the Upper West Side between Amsterdam and West End Avenue,
primarily populated with Blacks and Puerto Rican folks; somewhat considered a fringe
neighborhood of Harlem. Jews, Irish, Italians, Asians,
In Loving Arms
This 2002 photograph is part of my “Sunday, Sunday Series” in Harlem. Everyone treats
Sunday as the day to give Jesus a call. Fine hats, pressed suits and dresses that are
quiet in nature adorn churches across Harlem, giving God his praise. The choir echoes
the love we have for Jesus, and the ushers carry tides baskets, making their rounds.
But for the most part, Sundays are our day of r
Maggie Green: Cleaning Fish
One day, I woke up in 2001 and said, “I need to visit the Gullah.” I was embarking on a
spiritual journey and it felt good. By that afternoon, with the help of the Penn Center on
St. Helena Island, in South Carolina, I was paired up with Maggie Green, who lived in a
house at the end of town, on a winding stretch of road called ‘No Man Land Road.’ Her
parental presence formed
Stories of love within universal blackness
Queen Bees
I work in series, forming bodies of work with a consistent and creative thought pattern.
This 2000-year-old photograph taken at Town Hall in Manhattan, NY, is part of
my “African Dance in Slow Motion Series.” The group is the Dance Troupe of
Mozambique.
When I first entered the Hall, I was situated at eye level. Poor promotion resulted in too
many empty seats; however, the ground level wasn’t
Faces
Being selected in 1978 to participate in Operation Crossroads Africa’s program in
Ghana, West Africa, out of Los Angeles City College in California, became a highlight of
my life. This is where the beauty of ‘Africaness’ shaped my global view of the world.
Operation Crossroads Africa, officially founded in 1958 by James Robinson, a graduate
of Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania, became th
A Moment with My Son
Let me give you the backstory of this beautiful photograph of Martin Luther King III and
his mother, Coretta Scott King, taken on stage at the 1983 March on Washington’s
20 th Anniversary for Jobs, Peace and Freedom in D.C..
Maybe no more than a month prior, I had just arrived off a plane from Nigeria. My
mother was supposed to attend the march, as she was a member of Local DC37 b
Photographs that connect Africa and its diaspora
Brewing Up a Storm
This 2001 photograph came out of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, which is a
devoted organization and support system to those afflicted with HIV. Broadway theaters
have lost countless performers to the virus and in 2003, they partnered with a non-profit
organization entitled Dancers Responding to Aids (DRA) on a dance marathon
performance (24 hours) at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowe
Fela Anikulapo-Kuti-Stepping into Heaven
In 1989, and with the help of his North American Manager, Ogugua Iwelu, I had the
opportunity of photographing Fela at the New Ritz Club in NYC. I had photographically
evolved, shooting stage performances in ‘slow motion.’ Stage lighting is a wonderful
thing, inclusive of so many wonderful spectrums of color.
Ah man! He performed in an overall glowing hue of blu
Queen Alake Anikulapo-Kuti
After General Olusegun Obasanjo’s soldiers raided Fela’s Kalakuta Republic compound
at Yaba in 1977, burning down Fela’s house, abused the women living there and threw
his dear mother out of the window, Fela’s was now disoriented, his life and livelihood
were in chaos and his female bandmembers were living in sin, getting flack instead of
respect as they lived with Fela in si
Capturing moments of joy and celebration
Tender Love
As you admire the beauty of this 2003 photograph, let me first give you some backstory.
In front of a grocery store towards the corner of 20 th Street and 7th Avenue in
Manhattan, NY I came across a homeless couple, she was carrying a baby bump of
about 6 months, her man curled up over her in a protective position ( I presume the
father of her awaiting baby) under the canopy in a deep slee
Hail To New Orleans
It was 2006 and New Orleans officials were ‘in flux.’ Mardi Gras season was fast
approaching. Their challenge of holding this long-standing tradition was in debate.
Eventually, the decision was made to go forward with the festivities, realizing the spirit of
the city was badly in need of this opportunity to celebrate and heal. Canal Street was lit
up with revelers, floats, second li
Pope John Paul II Arrives in Kumasi, Ghana-Part 1
(Defining Moment)
Please excuse me but this backstory is more about me than this fabulous photograph of
Pope John Paul II. Raised as a Catholic, I’ve always liked Pope John Paul II; to me, he
was cool. I recently arrived in Lagos and found an opportunity of freelancing for M.K.O.
Abiola and his Concord Group of Newspapers. I had two awesome editors, Dr.
Pope John Paul II Arrives in Kumasi, Ghana-Part 2
After this historic event, those same government officials put us on that cargo plane
back to Accra, where the following day I photographed the Pope with Ghanaian
President Dr. Hilla Limann. My two nights in Accra allowed me to stay with my good
friend Kwame and his sister Rosie, whom I hadn’t seen since my Operation Crossroads
Africa visit in ‘78, givi
Through The Lens: howardtcashphotography.com Gallery
King Sunny Ade
38c. Sounds of Brazil in NYC, better known as SOBs, hosted Nigerian musician King Sunny
Ade in 2005. His melodic juju music and smooth delivery resonate with high energy and graceful
movements across Nigeria, Africa and the world. His rhythmic flow fills the air with Yoruba
proverbs for enriching thought and a clearer understanding of life. However, even if you don’t
speak Yoruba, Sunny’
Dance with Me
I began my project, “Drumming and Dancing in New York City,” in Harlem during
the summer of 2000. I was home, in the city where I had grown up and now able to
recognize the African fusion within my people of embracing culture, history and identity,
wrapped up in dance and the African drum.
I'd go to Garvey Park on Saturdays to sit and absorb the beats and rhythms of the line
of drummer
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi
40c. The Guardian Newspaper in Lagos vouched for my press accreditation with the
Libyan government to cover the State Visit of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to Nigeria. He
embarks from his plane to greet Nigerian President Sheu Shagari with several young,
beautiful, stone-cold, focused female bodyguards brandishing M-16 Rifles, ready to take
you out if you made a wrong move (and I don
Memories Preserved: howardtcashphotography.com Photo Gallery
Layeni Court
41c. This photograph is the first part of a two-image series. “Conversations with
Grandma” was the second and primary reason I was at Layeni Court in 1983. Before
entering, I came across these beautiful children playing in front of the compound. The
universal energy of innocent children lives in every corner of the world. Our next
generation is feeling out their lives, making friendships t
Sleepwalking
We’re back to my dance project of 2003 with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids,
project which is a devoted organization and support system to those afflicted with HIV.
Broadway theaters have lost countless performers to the virus. They partnered with a
non-profit organization entitled Dancers Responding to Aids (DRA) on a dance
marathon performance (24 hours) at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bow
Abiodun: King of the Hunters
43c. In July 1984, I was heading back to Lagos; however, this was to be a winding-down
period. Nigeria had been very good to me and I was taking this time out to just enjoy the
country. After a few days of telling stories, handing out gifts and getting reacquainted
with my Igbobi family, I headed up country to my flat in Oshogbo.
Upon arrival, my girlfriend, Oni, was told b
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