In New Book, African Art Paired With Everyday African-American Life

When pro athletes retire from, say, basketball, they usually try to go on to work in a sports-related field, like coaching or commentary.

NBA All-Star Joe Barry Carroll took a different path, following his love of fine art and writing. In recent years, he’s created his own works, mostly paintings. Several of those paintings appear with personal reflections in his 2013 memoir, “Growing Up: In Words and Images.”

Carroll’s new book – “Black American Voices: Shared Culture, Value and Emotions” – is out now, and he joined host Lois Reitzes on “City Lights” to talk about it.

Like his earlier memoir, “Black American Voices” is a book of words and images, though these particular images are inspired by a collection of African art and artifacts entrusted to Carroll by friend and Purdue University mentor Tony Zamora.

In “Black American Voices,” Carroll pairs his own photographs of Zamora’s collection with the stories and photos of African-American families across the country.  

Carroll will speak at the Decatur Book Festival at 4:15 p.m. Sept. 2 in the Marriott Conference Center, Room C.