In Our Own Voices: Phillip Black

Street Sense Media artist/vendor, Phillip Black shares his experiences growing up in Washington, DC. When Black was in high school, he was an All-Metropolitan basketball player. He details how that led to a lot of attention, which was at times distracting. Black was the youngest of a family of nine, and after the death of his parents and a divorce, he became homeless. He discusses how he found out about Street Sense Media from a pastor at St. Alban’s Church. Black recounts how eventually he started selling Street Sense papers dressed in a Cat in the Hat costume, which set him apart from other vendors and helped him gain a following of regulars, some of whom are prominent Washingtonians. Throughout his tenure at SSM, Black has brought in over 45 other vendors, including his own son. Black was interviewed August 4, 2022 by fellow Artist/Vendor Jacqueline Turner as part of Street Sense Media’s Oral History Project, “In Our Own Voices: Artist/Vendors 2003-2023.”