I photographed this boy near the corner of Winthrop and Ainslie in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood during the summer of 1975. As soon as my camera came up, his blade came out. In my mind, he was clearly trying to emulate the Latin Kings who hung out at this intersection. The sneer, the pose, the knife – all were part of the tough guy persona that he was trying to project. He saw the Kings flashing blades. He would flash one, too. As I pondered this, I remember thinking, “Am I encouraging him to act this way by being here with my camera?” It was a sobering thought and one I’m sure television crews face every time they turn their cameras on someone.
