“WE WANTED TO CARRY (THE MOVEMENT) ON. AND THAT WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT FOR MY POINT OF VIEW ARTISTICALLY, SOCIALLY AND POLITICALLY.”
a killed by who was , ) n s o k s o r ro e .B sh an mourn hoto by Dudley M m o w n a gu . (P A Nicara their rural village in e d li s mud
— Dudley M. Brooks, ’80
Brooks graduated in 1980 and, at the recommendation of MSU art professor James E. Lewis, became a professor of photography at Bowie State University. At the same time, a short stint covering fashion photography for a now-defunct magazine led him to create a portfolio that landed him his first full-time photography job at the Rockford Register Star newspaper in central Illinois. Lewis also recommended that Brooks speak to a photo department head, Matthew Lewis, at The Washington Post, who eventually brought Brooks to work for the newspaper. Fate and Love Brooks ran into Dyson again in 1983, at his apartment building in Silver Spring, Md. It turned out they lived in the same building. They married three years later, after he offered a rather romantic proposal at a restaurant in D.C. After 21 years at The Post, Brooks went to The Sun, where he was assistant managing editor for photographs, for two years. He also found time to codirect the book A woman st rokes her sle eping child Afghanistan “Songs of My People.” In that project, he arranged for 50 photographers in . (Photo by Dudley M. B to document black life and publish their pictures in what became a critrooks) ically acclaimed book. Brooks moved his family to Chicago after accepting a job with Ebony magazine in 2007. The family now lives in a South Chicago suburb and is proud to say that son Dorian is matriculating through Morgan State. And just like his father, Dorian didn’t have to be convinced that MSU was the best place for him. “My grandfather, the brigadier general, George Brooks, before he passed away, he said he wanted one of us to go to Morgan State,” says Dorian, a public relations major who has also fallen in love with photography. “I remember going to the homecomings with my dad, and it seemed like a homey and nurturing environment. There was no pressure; it just felt attending Morgan was the right decision.” Dorian Brooks has already published photos in both Ebony and Jet magazines. “When I was little, I would see my dad travel all over the globe. And that’s what really got me into photography, because of where it can take you,” he says. “That’s why I like being behind the camera.” Looks like the Morgan State fruit doesn’t fall too far from the tree. To view pictures from Dudley Brooks’ online photo studio, visit http://www.ebonyjet.com/multimedia/gallery/DudleyBrooks/index.html. Adrienne Gibbs is senior editor of Ebony magazine.
MORGAN MAGAZINE VOLUME I 2009
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