Milton Bud Phipps

There is depth in David Ofori Zapparoli's decision to take each subject's photograph in monochrome. Is this portrait from the past or the present? This photograph in particular feels timeless. Free of distraction, it allows the viewer to focus on the subject. Are your eyes open? Are your ears clear? What did you hear? What did you see? What is the voice telling us about our past, our present, and what we should aspire for in the future?

Milton Bud Phipps was born in Athabasca, Alberta, on March 11, 1933. His father, William McKinley Phipps, was born in Minter City, Mississippi, and his mother, Beulah Phipps (née Melton), was born in Terrell, Texas, just before her family moved to Oklahoma. Phipps is one of the few Black descendants still living in the original homestead of his ancestors in Amber Valley (formerly Pine Creek), Alberta. The names of many Phipps and Melton descendants appear on the Dawes Rolls, confirming their Five Tribes membership.