Looking back on this project, I find it Ironic how much of the poem actually did apply to my friends and me. Most of us attended Lincoln Park High School, a Chicago public school praised for its international baccalaureate program and athletics. Those who were not in a shining position at Lincoln Park were essentially forgotten. We had to fight for respect inside and outside of school. My photos are a depiction of Gwendolyn Brook's poem, 'We Real Cool', written in 1959. The obvious gap in time makes one think a lot would have changed. But I found that the poem is still very relative to what's going on in youth today. Naturally, you can blame the youth for being belligerent, foolish and disrespectful but there's something deeper. I used this poem as an unconventional way of depicting being young. As dangerous as it is being a teenager in Chicago, I would have it no other way. We drank gin, lurked late and were real cool. You can judge us, our parents, and our economical situation because that's the easiest. But I want you to question society and acknowledge the pressures bestowed on us. As dysfunctional as it all may seem, these were some of the most fun times in my life. We roamed the streets together, drank together and laughed together. I believe I can speak for my friends when I say that there are no regrets. We've moved on and our embarking on new chapters in our lives.

Jared Brown, January 2010