- Photograph by
- Dr. Simmons, Ron, American, 1950 - 2020
- Subject of
- Hemphill, Essex, American, 1957 - 1995
- Date
- 1981
- Medium
- reversal film and plastic
- Dimensions
- H x W: 2 × 2 in. (5.1 × 5.1 cm)
- Description
- A color photographic slide featuring poet Essex Hemphill sitting in front of a chess board. The photograph was captured at a celebration for the second anniversary of Blacklight magazine in Washington, DC. Hemphill dons a white shirt with white buttons and thin white stripes intersecting at right angles, creating small squares. He is also wearing khaki pants. He smiles as he leans towards the camera with his hands folded and his elbows on his knees. Mostly white chess pieces are visible on the board itself, however, a brown bishop and queen also on the table, in front of Hemphill, but to the side of the chess board (probably captured by Hemphill). The slide is housed in a white encasement with a [CPS LTD] logo and [WASHINGTON D.C. 202-452-1044] printed on the reverse.
- Place depicted
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- The Ron Simmons Photography Collection
- Classification
- Archival Collections
- Photographs and Still Images
- Type
- color slides
- Topic
- Activism
- Civil rights
- Identity
- LGBTQ
- Sexuality
- U.S. History, 1969-2001
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Ron Simmons
- Object number
- TA2019.38.1.1.1.8
- Restrictions & Rights
- © Ron Simmons
- Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




