More Than Skin Deep

“These are some of the most beautiful people in the world,” says Charles Collins.

With his partner David Cohen, Collins has edited “The African Americans,” a book of photographs documenting the lives and experiences of black Americans, published Friday by Viking Penguin. “We wanted to create an elegant and comprehensive portrait of the African-American community,” says Collins. “The book really is meant to emphasize its significant achievements and vital role in American society.”

He also sees the 240-page work as “a window to allow other Americans to view black America in its diversity. There are astounding misconceptions about black Americans and the history of our community.”

Just as in the “Day in the Life” series of photography books that Cohen helped found, the duo started with seed money from four corporations, then commissioned 25 photographers to fan out across the United States for four months. Most of the 250 photographs are portraits or scenes of everyday life, depicting blacks in such arenas as politics, business and the arts. To add a sense of history, the editors also included portraits of African-American heroes such as Frederick Douglass and Rosa Parks.

Says Collins, “My real desire is for each person who sees this book to see a piece of themselves. We are all in this together.”