http://www.citypaper.net/clog/2006/07/04/mpozi-mshale-tolbert/


Mpozi Mshale Tolbert
Tuesday, July 4th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
posted by a.d.amorosi
Mpozi Mshale Tolbert
Goodbye, big man. Tolbert in City Paper's Earshot circa 1997.
Photo: Dominic Episcopo

Our sister — Queen Bee Stef Renee — just sent me this. That my friend — City Paper's friend — Mpozi Tolbert died. My hand is shaking. He was not only a longtime photographer at this paper. He was a fucking beacon, a face that, no matter how sad, snarky, angry, high or messy I was, changed my innervision immediately. He was concerned — deeply — about any, every and all. I missed him when I found he had moved out of town. I miss him now. But I won’t forget how he made this city, or me, feel about politics — big or personal.

We'd just heard from ’Pozi last week in a letter to the editor he sent thanking us for his shout out in our Paper Trail column for 1991, when his work debuted:

Thanks for the shout out… City Paper was my “voice” when I was younger through the Streetshots photo column, and other assignments — not bad for a kid in his late teens (I shot my first cover story while still in high school), and early 20s. Whenever I talk to students now, I tell them to find the local weekly and get on them — nobody knows how much you get paid — they just know they saw your work and byline! I try to keep track of the paper out here, but I always get all nostalgic on one hand, and wonder who half the people you guys are talkin' about are on the other (which for me — is weird!)… Nice to see the city doing so well btw. Lovin’ Mike Regan’s work as well — and missing my Tastykake's and soft pretzels (especially fresh ones at 10th and Washington at 4 a.m.).

Thanks again for the mention

—Mpozi Mshale Tolbert