Race, Class, And Gender

This is one of my very favorite images. I use it when I teach about the intersection of race, class, and gender. What I see in this image is a mediation of the stereotype of the threatening black man. In particular, he is mediating the threat that his body poses with both class and femininity. By photographing him on a sailboat, especially comfortably stretched out over the water, the image suggests that he is wealthy and civilized. The sweater and khakis contribute to this. And the pale pink of his sweater invokes femininity and a certain softness.