Photographer Don West hosted a holiday party at Hibernian Hall on December 3 to celebrate the successful book Portraits of Purpose,Chronicles Decades of Social Change in Boston. The book— which features West’s photos and essays by Dorchester’s own Ken Cooper, captures “the spirit of a visionary leadership and tells the stories behind the story of more than 100 African American leaders and their allies in the post-civil rights era in Boston (1980-2013).”

Among the 127 luminaries featured in the book are Bostonians Mel King, Charles Yancey, Ayanna Pressley, Linda Dorcena Forry, Theodore Landsmark and Mel Miller.

“My goal,” Don West says, “is to make visible an often hidden story of social change; to provide a lens into the continued pursuit of justice in these times.”

West plans to convene a series of public forums using the book as a conversation starter to address current issues in Boston and beyond.
Eastern Bank played a catalytic role as a collaborating partner with photojournalist Don West on this historic book project. The project began as a traveling exhibit of West’s work in 2012.

For more information or to order copies of Portraits of Purpose, visit portraitsofpurpose.us.