Gone: 2nd Best Fight I Ever Saw I Wasn't In (6th grade)

The sixth grade and “The Best Fight I Ever Saw that I was not In” took place. These guys were ten and eleven but fought like men. They went toe to toe and beat the sh-t out of each other. A sign of things to come and only later did I understand how adults contributed to the tragedy in the lives of these children.

The "Gone Series" looks back to 50 years to memories of my childhood in the racially divided mill town of Concord, North Carolina. It highlights events and circumstances that I believe reflect our social evolution and invite comparisons between the past and the present. These comparisons can be viewed literally or metaphorically.

When compiling subjects for this series I tried to think of memorable scenarios that spoke to issues of today and to my responsibilities as a parent and grandparent.Also, I wanted to evoke the perspective of a child experiencing a world created for them by adults. An adult influence, good and bad, not only creates the moment but steers generations to come.