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Click on photo to view caption. Seeds of Resilience Karen Indigenous people's struggle for self-determination in Myanmar by Matias Bercovich Focused on the intersection of cultural survival, ethnic conflict, and environmental conservation, Matias Bercovich documents the Karen Indigenous people’s ongoing struggle for self-determination in Myanmar. Life in Ukraine Ukraine by Patrick Patterson Traversing the country of Ukraine, Patrick Patterson documents the effects of conflict in this war-torn region. To Die In Prison Or Die At War - It Makes No Difference Ukraine by Svet Jacqueline Many Russian prisoners in Ukraine echo a shared sentiment that it makes no difference if they die in prison or at war. Homeless In The Shadows of The Jungle United States by John Simpson As cities and counties begin to criminalize homelessness, some of the unhoused in Olympia, Washington take refuge in The Jungle. Bearing Witness: Black Birth Experience Virginia, United States by Benita Mayo With Black women lacking access, agency, and resources to maternal health care, Benita Mayo documents the Black birth experience – a story that often goes untold. Nuzugum Lives Among Us Xinjiang, China by Eleanor Moseman Eleanor Moseman documents the resilience and bravery of the Uyghur women in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. Huaorani - The Ghosts of the Yasuni Ecuador by Aga Szydlik Photographer Aga Szdyilk documents the deep connection between the Huarani people and their ancestral home—the Yasuní Reserve in the upper Amazon basin. Galamsey: Artisanal Gold Mining in Ghana Ghana by Mariusz Śmiejek Galamsey, meaning “gather them and sell”, is a local Ghanaian term referring to the illegal small-scale gold mining in Ghana. A Family Divided Italy by Lorenzo Lazzati Lorenzo Lazzati follows the story of Zijad, a Romani man from Croatia, and his struggle to reunite his family and regain custody of his daughters. View More Spring issue of ZEKE available in print. Learn more » Support the 20th issue of ZEKE with a $20 donation. Click here Book Review Between Fears and Hopes by Lauren Walsh Between Fears and Hope by Fabrice Dekoninck tackles injustice, genocide, denial, and the ways in which the past seeps forward through generations—all through the lens of ongoing impact of the Bosnian war. Carbon, Cartels, & Corruption by Sarah Fretwell The real reason Peru's Amazon is being lost and the environmental defenders who can save it. A.I. and the Future of Visual Storytelling by Barbara Ayotte With the rapid onset of artificial intelligence (A.I.), photography seems to be at a pivotal crossroads. Is documentary photography as we know it dying or is something else emerging alongside it? Women Are Changing the Face of Documentary Photography by J. Sybylla Smith Contemporary women and female-identifying photographers are activating a new form of documenting that is led by content and context. Grounded in extensive research, they construct a matrix of intersectional ideas, histories, realities, and considerations. A powerful impact of their work is their intentional approach to lead with an awareness of power differentials. The aim is one of illumination of our complex and messy world in pursuit of a deeper understanding and a hope to provoke informed change.

BOOK REVIEW ​ Between Fears and Hope by Fabrice Dekoninck Hemeria, 2024 272 pages / $67 Review by Lauren Walsh ​ Published in ZEKE: September 2024 ​Between Fears and Hope, a photo book by Fabrice Dekoninck, opens with an epigraph that takes us backwards in time. Dekoninck quotes lines from the first canto of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno , words that encapsulate the Italian poet’s sense of fear and vulnerability: Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark For the straightforward pathway had been lost. Dante then proceeds through the dark terrain of hell, sharing his insights along the way, as this rich allegory functions as a commentary on morality, human behavior, and society. With that opening, Dekoninck molds his own framework for guiding his readers through another kind of hell: by showing the ongoing impact of the Bosnian War. Dekoninck’s commentaries are manifold, focusing on injustice, trauma, and, at times, cautious hope for the future. Ultimately, Between Fears and Hope serves to better our understanding of a painful history, one defined by still festering wounds. “I am a photographer of memory, a collector of what used to be and of what will disappear. I explore traces of the traumas of my contemporaries by digging especially on the path made by the traces of the war”. This is how Dekoninck introduces himself in the early pages of the book, which opens with essays before proceeding to the main breadth of imagery. Darko Cvijetic is a Bosnian-Serb writer, filmmaker, and poet, renowned for his novel Schindler Lift . In this book, he depicts the gradual disappearance of a once peaceful and tolerant way of life through the daily lives of residents in a multi-ethnic residential building in Prijedor. Photograph by Fabrice Dekonink. ​ For background, Dekoninck describes a sinking disillusionment during the first months of the conflict in Bosnia: “By not naming the attacker, the international community did nothing else but deny the humanity of the Bosnians, especially the Muslim Bosniaks….it encouraged the attacker to pursue its criminal intentions”. In short, a refusal, as Dekoninck says, of the truth. From there, he names the perpetrator: “the ominous project of ‘Greater Serbia’: a nationalist doctrine promoted by Belgradian ideologists and fed on the devouring ambition of a power-hungry politician, Slobodan Milošević”. This opening essay gives historical context, describes Dekoninck’s role as an outsider to Bosnia, explains his methodology, and lays out why he has conducted this work, which is, in part, to fight a culture of silence that has dominated in areas, particularly the Serb-majority state of Republika Srpska. The book is a project of memory, and while Dekoninck is a photographer, the texts throughout are vital to framing his endeavor and expanding what we see in any single image. Accordingly, Between Fears and Hope tackles injustice, genocide, denial, and the ways in which the past seeps forward through generations. As Nicholas Moll, a historian, writes later in the book, “Since the self-proclaimed political representatives of the three national groups each have their official legal structure within Bosnia and Herzegovina, there are three simultaneous official narratives of the war as well as three history teachings in an equally divided educational system”. After Dekoninck’s opening, and still before we encounter his many photographs, we read words by Philippe Simon, a correspondent for France Inter-radio in 1993. His essay includes a petrifying excerpt, apparently from the draft of a column he wrote in November of that year. Describing a schoolroom scene where a teacher and her students were finishing class as a mortar shell landed just outside, the write-up ends with gruesome details of death. The chilling final words simply state: “The class was over”. So begins our journey through a modern-day hell. Where Dante gave us visually vivid text, Dekoninck offers actual imagery. Organized by sections, corresponding to cities around Bosnia (Srebrenica, Prijedor, Sarajevo), the reader encounters a spectrum of photographs, ranging from grainy black and white scenescapes, to detail shots, to desaturated color visuals that sometimes present an otherworldly place long since uninhabited. When we do see people, they are anything but otherworldly—that is the point. The traumatic legacy exists ingrained in society and impacts a current population in ways that are, at times, nearly imperceptible. But what seems a pedestrian moment becomes much more. As Dekoninck says, “Photography is my way of questioning the world”. He prods his reader as he prods himself to push deeper into a history that carries into the present. The images themselves are not heavy-handedly stylized, which contributes to Dekoninck’s emphasis on the everyday quality of this festering history. Moreover, the layout provides a rhythm, alternating text and imagery, single page photos as well as full two-page spreads. Of particular note are the many portraits throughout, each accompanied by the individual’s story. For instance, Almasa, whose 17-year-old brother Abdulah was handed over to Serb forces by Dutch peacekeeping soldiers. His body was later found in a mass grave. This book stands against “historical revisionism,” to borrow a phrase of Jene-René Ruez, who led the investigation into suspected crimes against humanity at Srebrenica and who is interviewed for this book. It also announces its significance beyond the Balkans. This is a text to teach us about wider acts of conflict and atrocity, as the concluding essays move to the present moment, asking us to consider the currently ongoing situation in Ukraine. In the end, one could say this book stands as a call to action toward remembering the past, and for establishing justice. We are told that thousands of war criminals have gone unpunished for their crimes during the Bosnian War. But Dekoninck knows that courtroom justice is unlikely for those thousands and is not the only form of justice for society. He posits the idea of a protected collective historical memory such that partisan biases cannot occlude the factual realities of crimes committed. This, he conjectures, may be a way of moving toward a space of greater reconciliation in a region still rife with civil, religious and cultural animosity. Ultimately, this haunting book will leave its reader uncomfortable—in a productive way. It demands that we confront the legacy of war and injustice. ​

Seeds of Resilience Karen Indigenous people's struggle for self-determination in Myanmar by Matias Bercovich Read More » Focused on the intersection of cultural survival, ethnic conflict, and environmental conservation, Matias Bercovich documents the Karen Indigenous people’s ongoing struggle for self-determination in Myanmar. Life in Ukraine Ukraine by Patrick Patterson Read More » Traversing the country of Ukraine, Patrick Patterson documents the effects of conflict in this war-torn region. To Die In Prison Or Die At War - It Makes No Difference Ukraine by Svet Jacqueline Read More » Many Russian prisoners in Ukraine echo a shared sentiment that it makes no difference if they die in prison or at war. Soatanana Madagascar by Denys Kutsevalov Read More » Denys Kusevalov navigates documenting a sacral procession in the Soatanana village of Madagascar. Homeless In The Shadows of The Jungle United States by John Simpson Read More » As cities and counties begin to criminalize homelessness, some of the unhoused in Olympia, Washington take refuge in The Jungle. Bearing Witness: Black Birth Experience Virginia, United States by Benita Mayo Read More » With Black women lacking access, agency, and resources to maternal health care, Benita Mayo documents the Black birth experience – a story that often goes untold. Nuzugum Lives Among Us Xinjiang, China by Eleanor Moseman Read More » Eleanor Moseman documents the resilience and bravery of the Uyghur women in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. Cuba Down Cuba by Andrea Fucà Read More » Italian photographer, Andrea Fucà portrays the experiences of people with Down syndrome in Santiago de Cuba. Huaorani - The Ghosts of the Yasuni Ecuador by Aga Szydlik Read More » Photographer Aga Szdyilk documents the deep connection between the Huarani people and their ancestral home—the Yasuní Reserve in the upper Amazon basin. Galamsey: Artisanal Gold Mining in Ghana Ghana by Mariusz Śmiejek Read More » Galamsey, meaning “gather them and sell”, is a local Ghanaian term referring to the illegal small-scale gold mining in Ghana. A Family Divided Italy by Lorenzo Lazzati Read More » Lorenzo Lazzati follows the story of Zijad, a Romani man from Croatia, and his struggle to reunite his family and regain custody of his daughters. Jamyang Tsomo: The Daily Life of a Tibetan Woman Garze Tibetan Autonomous Region, China by Eleanor Moseman Read More » A story of a Tibetan woman who exemplifies dedication and bravery amid poverty and also challenges the mythologized visions of her country.

Click top image to view larger and caption Galamsey Artisanal Gold Mining in Ghana Ghana by Mariusz Śmiejek Published July 2024 Ghana is the largest gold producer on the African continent. However, for most resource-rich countries in Africa, this is a double-edged sword, often tied to capitalist neo-colonialism. The majority of Ghana's gold wealth is owned by foreign companies, and the agreements between global corporations and the government are kept confidential. The registered income from gold is $5 billion annually, while unregistered income from smuggling is almost double. Gold smuggled from Ghana primarily comes from "Galamsey" operations, where workers earn only $1 a day, and children often work for free. Ghana's gold ends up in countries like the U.S., Canada, China, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Switzerland. Once it leaves these illegal mines, pervasive corruption makes it impossible to trace its origin, allowing it to quickly enter the legal market. This gold finds its way into banks, jewelry shops, and companies manufacturing expensive branded electronic devices for highly developed countries. Nearly one-third of Ghana's gold is illegally mined in galamsey operations. Over 3 million people, or 10% of the country's population, rely on galamsey for their livelihood, with approximately 1 million directly involved in mining. In the pursuit of gold that reaches the world's wealthiest nations, the natural environment is irreversibly destroyed—forests are cut down, and rivers are poisoned. Additionally, internal labor migration related to gold mining leads to a decline in agricultural production and many local industries essential for the country's proper functioning. In cooperation with: Principal Investigator: Melani Lea Mennella, ESQ, Legal Resources Human Rights Law Fellow, Ghana Research Director: Richard Ellimah, Centre for Social Impact Studies, Ghana Partly supported by: Arts Council of Northern Ireland & The National Lottery UK Mariusz Śmiejek Mariusz Šmiejek is a freelance documentary and portrait photographer specializing in the raw narrative of human and social conditions. His documentary work explores post-conflict communities, refugee and asylum seekers, child slavery, street children, human trafficking, victimized women, dangerous livelihoods, corruption, and systemic abuse. Follow Mariusz Śmiejek on Instagram < Previous Next > comments debug Comments (1) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Сортувати: Найновіші betty press 11 лип. Really strong images telling another story of where mining causes so much poverty, suffering and environmental damage in the places where the illegal mining occurs. Like Reply

Click top image to view larger and caption Quests for Authenticity Artists in California Prisons United States by Peter Merts Published September 2023 This project shows incarcerated men and women creating and performing artworks in California prisons; beyond that, it portrays the passion, creativity, and humanity of those artists. Upon first hearing of these classes, I was intrigued by the incongruity of artistic expression in such a regulated, disruptive, and sometimes violent environment; I also felt an empathy for incarcerated men and women, many of whom had experienced childhood trauma. Beyond these factors, it just felt like a good fit—a project about art as a response to troubled lives. From the beginning I was impressed with the commitment, risk-taking, enthusiasm, and technical mastery of the artists as they addressed topics of identity, culture, family, and society. Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of art practice in improving the attitudes and behaviors of incarcerated men and women, but here I go beyond these empirical matters. My aim is to illuminate the humanity of these incarcerated men and women, who are working so passionately to express themselves, to recover from their traumas, and to lead more fulfilling lives. Peter Merts Peter Merts’s photography spans documentary, portrait, and fine art forms and has been published in the New York Times , the Washington Post, and others. In 2015, Peter and Dr. Larry Brewster published Paths of Discovery—Art Practice and Its Impact in California State Prisons (second edition.) In Spring 2022, Peter published a monograph of his photographs as Ex Crucible: The Passion of Incarcerated Artists . An archive of his prison arts photographs can be found on www.petermerts.com . Follow Peter Merts < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Click top image to view larger and caption The Don Stepee Rostov-on-Don region, Russian Federation by Misha Maslennikov Published January 2024 Picture yourself in the midst of the steppe, somewhere out in the open, looking at the horizon. You find your gaze drawn beyond this meeting of earth and sky, to the far side of the visible, so much that you can see nothing other than this inexorable boundary. What’s out there? What kind of life beyond imagining? Perhaps something utterly different, utterly unknown: seas and mountains, the crystalline glint of office windows in concrete canyons, elegant shop windows, the fireplaces of ski lodges? Perhaps climbing the corporate ladder with its strict dress code, or beach volleyball in stylish bikinis? But you stand there for a while in silence, just a bit longer, and all this falls away. There is only the earth under your feet, near and far, as far as the eye can see, and the sky above your head, around you and about you, and it all runs together as one, even within you, and it’s as if there is no longer an observer. Misha Maslennikov Misha Maslennikov was born in 1964 in the Dobroe settlement near Moscow. He has been head of the Noga Creative Union since 2006, and a member of the Russian Photo Union and Russian Geography Society since 2010. In 2020, he became an independent photographer with the Incubator Photo Gallery in Portugal. He currently lives in Odesa, Ukraine with his wife and pets. In 2002 he began traveling in the Russian north including expeditions to places difficult of access, visiting and photographing monasteries, keepers of ancient temples, medieval administrative districts in Russia, studying the way of life of modern hermits, and developing relationships with backwoodsmen of Russia. Follow Misha on Instagram < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Comparte lo que piensas Sé el primero en escribir un comentario.

Click top image to view larger and caption Turkana Kenya by Maurizio Di Pietro Published March 2024. ZEKE Award Honorable Mention winner Turkana, in northwest Kenya, is the poorest and least developed county in the ASALs (Arid and Semi-Arid Lands). Almost all of the inhabitants of the Turkana district are pastoralists, so their survival depends entirely on livestock, natural resources for food, and daily activities. In the last few decades, due to climate change, the air temperature increased by about three degrees, while more frequent and prolonged droughts have reduced the natural resource base. Pasture resources for livestock have been dramatically reduced, encouraging those closest to Lake Turkana to turn to fish as an alternative livelihood. The area is the fuse of violent conflict. Indeed the proliferation of illegal arms from southern Sudan and the reduction of natural resources has contributed to the escalation of insecurity along the area's shared borders with Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, and other counties in Kenya as Pokot and Marsabit, causing the death of hundreds of people every year. Maurizio's project, "Turkana" will be on display at the Bridge Gallery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 13-May 25, 2024, and at Photoville in Brooklyn, New York, June 1-16, 2024. Maurizio Di Pietro Maurizio Di Pietro is an Italian freelance photographer focusing on social and environmental issues. After graduating in Computer Science in 2001, Maurizio obtained a master’s degree in photography at WSP Photography School in Rome. It was at this point during his studies, that he trained as a photographer and went on to work for several years as a stage photographer. He has collaborated with various NGOs in Morocco, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, and the West Bank, and later worked for several years in Kenya on the topic of climate change. His works have been published globally in magazines like National Geographic, Geo France, Der Spiegel, I’Espresso , and many others. Follow Maurizio Di Pietro on Instagram < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Click top image to view larger and caption A Photojournalist's Work in Gaza Gaza Strip Photos by Samar Abu Elouf. Text by Lauren Walsh Published February 2024 The headlines have captured the world’s attention. The photographs are starkly painful to view. But view them we must; they are important to see. Such images belong to a long history of terrible yet historically significant photographs—images of atrocity and devastation. In short, these are images that force the world to grapple with human suffering, even when politics and ideologies may get in the way. Such imagery provides a visual, evidentiary record, in this case of the ongoing destruction of the Israel-Hamas war. Now, four months into the war, well over 25,000 people have been killed (primarily civilians), two million Palestinians are internally displaced in Gaza, a genocide case against Israel is underway at the International Court of Justice at The Hague, and attacks in nearby countries pose the risk of escalating wider regional warfare. While the future remains uncertain, the searing images compiled here bear witness to what has already occurred. Samar Abu Elouf, a freelance photojournalist, documented the war’s effects in Gaza in the months after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack. Her images were viewed globally, published in the New York Times and picked up elsewhere. She holds multiple journalism awards and the above photographs display what she witnessed and recorded in late 2023. As she said in November of that year: “There are constant strikes around me. There is fear, horror, anxiety.” The dangers of reporting on, including photographing, conflict have been well documented . Yet Sherif Mansour, the Middle East program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), has characterized the Israel-Hamas war as “the most dangerous ” for journalists that the organization has ever seen. Such risks affect not only the local journalist population but carry impact for a broader global audience. As Mansour notes , “With every journalist killed, we lose our ability to document and understand the war.” Samar Abu Elouf has done that work – documenting in order to increase our understanding. She recently escaped Gaza. She has survived physically; she carries wounds internally. Her photographs, seen here, provide necessary if painful records, in hopes of a better, more just, more peaceful tomorrow. _____ Editor’s Note: The photos presented here in ZEKE by Samar Abu Elouf were taken while on assignment for The New York Times . Each of these images has already been seen by a global audience in numerous publications. We are very grateful to Samar for giving ZEKE permission to present them here. Samar Abu Elouf Samar Abu Elouf is an award-winning Palestinian photographer who has worked extensively in the Gaza Strip. She has covered many events in Gaza, including stories around gender, women’s and children’s lives, and the consequences of war. Since 2010, she has worked as a freelance photojournalist on assignment for outlets such as Reuters, The New York Times , NZZ Swiss Magazine, and others. Samar works with ZUMA Press to cover stories related to the COVID-19 pandemic for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other agencies. In May 2021, she worked on assignment for The New York Times to cover the 11 days of fighting between Israel and Hamas that destroyed essential infrastructure and killed more than 230 people, including several of her own relatives. Her images, both intimate and shocking, capture and convey the dignity of her subjects. One of her photos shows a 2,000-pound bomb that did not explode on a bed in a Palestinian home. Other images show family members in the destruction of their homes and mourning dead relatives. Since the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel, Samar continued to work in Gaza for The New York Times covering the destruction and human casualties caused by Israeli bombs, artillery, and ground forces. Samar has received mentorship and training in visual storytelling through World Press Photo, RAWIA, Noor Images and the Arab Documentary Photography Program, an initiative supported by a partnership between the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, the Prince Claus Fund, and Magnum Foundation. Portions of this biography are from the Online Journalism Awards . Lauren Walsh Lauren Walsh is a professor at New York University and Founder and Director of the Gallatin Photojournalism Intensive. She is the author of Conversations on Conflict Photography (2019) and Through the Lens: The Pandemic and Black Lives Matter (2022), co-author of Shadow of Memory (2021) on the Bosnian War, and editor of Macondo: Memories of the Colombian Conflict (2017), among other titles. She is a leading expert on the visual coverage of conflict and crisis, as well as peace journalism. In 2023, she was named a Fulbright Specialist in Photography and Ethics. Follow Samar Abu Elouf on Instagram. < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Click top image to view larger and caption Turtles and Sparrows United States by Lauren Owens Lambert Published May 2024 Turtles: Water temperatures plummet in November in Cape Cod Bay. Kemp’s ridleys, the most endangered sea turtle in the world, wash up, cold-stunned, onto the inside edge of the hook-shaped Cape. The phenomenon is the largest recurring sea turtle stranding event in the world but such strandings are increasing due to climate change and successful conservation work in their nesting beaches in Mexico and Texas. Sparrow: The saltmarsh sparrow is the only bird species that breeds exclusively in the saltmarshes of the Northeast U.S. Found nowhere else on earth, they could soon face extinction due to rising seas from climate change. More than four out of every five saltmarsh sparrows have disappeared in the last three decades, with an estimated population decline of 87 percent. Now, a 200-kilometer-long hybrid zone exists in New Hampshire and Maine between the saltmarsh sparrow and the Nelson's sparrow. Depending on what traits the saltmarsh sparrow picks up, it could help future generations adapt to climate change. The sparrow is currently under consideration for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, with a decision expected in September 2024. Lauren Owens Lambert Lauren Owens Lambert’s work has a creative focus on documenting the human aspect of conservation, climate change, and our relationship with the natural world during the age of the Anthropocene. In her work, she places people as part of natural cycles, a perspective that is sometimes lost in contemporary society. Her work has been published in National Geographic, Audubon Magazine, BioGraphic, Smithsonian Magazine, and National Wildlife Magazine . She freelances with news organizations such as Agence France-Presse and Reuters. She is an Associate Fellow at the International League of Conservation Photographers and a contributing photographer with Everyday Extinction and Everyday Climate Change. Lauren has shown in exhibitions at Photoville and has presented work at the United Nations on the importance of visual storytelling with ocean science and data communication. Follow Lauren Owens Lambert on Instagram < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Click top image to view larger and caption Black Childbirth Takes Front and Center on Young Parents United States by Brian Branch-Price Published May 2024 Using his preferred black and white medium, photographer Brian Branch-Price takes the viewer through the final hours of pre- and post-birth of the first child for parents Ka’Cheena Lucas and Malcolm Sims from Newark, NJ. Surrounded by family and friends and their trusted healthcare providers, the childbirth is intimate – filled with a host of emotions, from joy to pain. Brian had the unique opportunity to do what only great photographers can — to almost not exist in the moment yet to be at the center of it. "For them to welcome me into that space was a crazy, wonderful experience," Brian recalled, "It's unusual for that to happen unless the subject has a lot of trust and confidence.” "Childbirth seemed very natural to me, but lately, there's been a focus on issues with Black women and birthing, and the infants not doing very well," Brian explained. For Black mothers-to-be, childbirth can bring trepidation and dread, and the research validates such emotions. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 83% of all maternal deaths are preventable. In New Jersey, the stark racial differences are borne out in alarming data: Black women in New Jersey experience a 3.5 times higher rate of infant death compared to white women, according to 2017 New Jersey State Health Assessment Data. Research confirms that the root of the problem is the racialization of the treatment of Black women. Holding other factors constant — such as income and education — the fact of being a Black woman was the single factor leading to worse outcomes. While Lucas’s journey to motherhood was relatively smooth and without serious complications, this is not the case for many Black women.“We need to develop some level of outrage about this issue,” said Dr. Nastassia Harris, executive director of the Perinatal Health Equity Initiative.“We should all be upset by what is happening in our state and we should be talking about it.” Brian Branch Price Brian Branch-Price began his career as a freelancer for the Washington Post , then staffing with the News Journal in Wilmington, DE, and followed up with the Associated Press in Trenton, NJ. Beyond Brian’s editorial work for publishers and his current work with Zuma Press, Brian focuses on portraiture, reportage, and fine art photography, often exhibiting his work at public libraries and historical societies. Brian earned a B.S. in Environmental Geology and a minor in Fine Arts from Howard University and is now a member of the American Society of Media Photographers and the National Association of Black Journalists: Value Task Force and VTF Parliamentarian. Brian’s heroes are his parents; his children; Moneta Sleet, Jr; Roland Freeman; and hometown photographers Irvin Penn and Margaret Bourke White. Follow Brian Branch-Price on Instagram < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Click top image to view larger and caption Indigenous Peoples of America Parade United States by Lisa DuBois Published November 2023 Atsila Firebird Graywolf, an outstanding Indigenous woman, envisioned a parade in which the descendants of the ancestors who had tragically perished would march proudly on the very territory where they were killed. This symbolic act would help to heal the wounds of intergenerational suffering. The Indigenous Peoples of America Parade is overdue. Approximately 90% of the Native population died as a result of invading forces within 150 years of arrival on a territory that they called the new world. It was a new world to the conquerors, but for the Natives it was their world. Their primary objective, fueled by their belief in white superiority, was to destroy the Indigenous peoples through "physical and cultural genocide." The lack of awareness regarding this truth can be attributed to its exclusion from history books and people's unwillingness to explore these facts. In history books, the colonists and Natives are depicted enjoying a harvest feast in the woods, which evolved into the Thanksgiving holiday. Everyone in the images appear to be genuinely happy. These misleading images would deeply permeate into the minds of Americans. Lisa DuBois Lisa DuBois is a New York-based ethnographic photojournalist and curator. Her work focuses on subcultures within mainstream society. Her widely collected work on Black subculture in New Orleans is a demonstration of her deep love for history and tradition. She has exhibited her work both internationally and domestically, including at the Schomburg Cultural Center for Research in Black Culture, and at the Gordon Parks Museum in Fort Kansas. She has been interviewed on BronxNet, Nola TV, and Singleshot about her work. Lisa received a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and a degree in Metaphysical Science at the University of Metaphysics. As a freelance photographer, she has contributed to several major news publications and stock photo agencies including Getty, Post, and the Daily News. Lisa has been recognized by The Guardian and the New York Times for her work as a photographer and curator for X Gallery. Her most recent project as creative consultant and curator for ArtontheAve helped to launch the first socially distanced outdoor exhibition along Columbus Avenue in New York City. Lisa is a member of Enfoco and a contributor to Social Documentary Network and Edge of Humanity magazine. Follow Lisa DuBois < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Click top image to view larger and caption Indigenous Autonomy in Mexico Mexico by Scott Brennan Published November 2023 “Indigenous Autonomy in Mexico” focuses on two Nahua indigenous communities — Santa Maria de Ostula and Cherán K’eri — fighting for social and environmental justice in the notoriously violent southern Mexican state of Michoacán. Indigenous people within this region have established semi-autonomous, grassroots governments in response to rampant violence, corruption, environmental degradation and worsening social conditions. Their claims to the right to self-determination are based on a clause in Article 2 of the Mexican Constitution which states that indigenous towns have the ability to govern themselves in accordance with their traditional ways apart from the institutionalized Mexican political system. These social movements, initiated by Mexico’s most dispossessed and marginalized populations, demonstrate the capability of these communities to find solutions to some of their most pressing problems: crime, lack of education, disappearing cultural heritage, environmental degradation and corruption. Scott Brennan After receiving a Master of Fine Arts at the London College of Communications in 2005, Brennan’s work has been exhibited in galleries internationally including New York, Mexico City, La Paz, Bolivia and London. His work has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, Time Magazine, Amnesty International, ZEKE magazine, and the BBC. A resident of Mexico since 2010, his primary focus is on documenting the rise of social movements and the processes of territory defense in rural and indigenous regions of Latin America. His work on indigenous groups in resistance in Mexico was awarded first place in the 2017 Pictures of the Year International POYI community Awareness Competition. The project is currently sponsored by the Blue Earth Alliance , and received the spring 2018 Documentary Project Fund. Follow Scott Brennan < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Click top image to view larger and caption The Price of Patriotism Ukraine by Małgorzata Smieszek Published March 2024 Anna lives high in the mountains. Her sons and relatives went to the front after the war started in February 2022. Following the completion of his mandatory military service, 21-year-old Ivan decided to stay in the army. He guards the Ukrainian border. 25-year-old Jurij returned home after 15 months of fighting in Bakhmut. He did not expect that it would be so hard on the front. While being extremely exhausted for months, he would repel enemy attacks and experience betrayal from residents of the eastern part of Ukraine while risking his own life. 47-year-old Volodymyr has been fighting in Donbas since the beginning of the war. His wife and daughter are deeply affected by his involvement. The daily life of stress and uncertainty has caused serious health problems for the women. Mykola, 38, died in Bachmut. He left behind two daughters who are convinced that they lost their father because they did not manage to give him a hand-made cross in time. Małgorzata Smieszek Małgorzata Smieszek (born 1973) is a photographer and documentarian, a graduate of the Warsaw School of Photography and photography workshops at the Pix.house Foundation in Poznań. She is the recipient of the Krzysztof Miller Award for the Courage of Looking (2021), and a finalist in competitions such as Grand Press Photo (2022) in the People category, and Slovak Press Photo (2023) for her photographic documentary "The Price of Patriotism". She was also recognized in the International Photography Awards (IPA) (2023) in the People category. She is the author of the series "Red Zone" (about loneliness in COVID wards) and "It Happens" (about the work of rescue teams). Currently, she is photographing in Ukraine. Follow Małgorzata Smieszek on Instagram < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Click top image to view larger and caption Shishmaref - A Native American Struggle Alaska, United States by Nima Taradji Published November 2023 Shishmaref, Alaska is a remote village of about 600 people located 30 miles south of the Arctic Circle, flanked by the Chukchi Sea to the north and an inlet to the south, and sits atop rapidly melting permafrost. The melting permafrost coupled with the rising of the sea levels due to melting glaciers has resulted in an accelerated sinking of this isolated island. The native Iñupiat that have inhabited this island for many generations need to find a new location and the funds for the necessary relocation. Both of which, as of now, are not secured. Nima Taradji Nima Taradji is an Iranian-American editorial and documentary photographer focusing on cultural, social and political themes. His aim is to photograph people and create stories that witness the multiplicity of human experience. His photographs have appeared in various national and international publications such as The Washington Post, The New York Times - Lens, CNN, CBS Chicago, ABC News, and Time . He is a proud member and co-founder of Argo Collective. Follow Nima Taradji < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Comparte lo que piensas Sé el primero en escribir un comentario.

Click top image to view larger and caption The Prison Within United States by Katherin Hervey & Massimo Bardetti Published September 2023 These photographs were taken inside San Quentin Prison during the filming of The Prison Within documentary; contrasting the healing and community created by the men inside, with the cruelty and isolation of mass incarceration. Prisons represent the darkest parts of ourselves, where we lock away that which is most difficult to confront—the poor, the addicted, the other, anybody or anything that slightly threatens our sense of safety. Using trauma-informed restorative justice models based in accountability and compassion, the men pictured here — Sam J., Eddie, H., Michael N., Nate C., Phoeun Y., and Barry S. — are showing us another way. Their courage and commitment to healing and forgiveness reveal how every one of us, on both sides of the wall, can break out of our own personal prisons. Katherine Hervey Katherin Hervey is an artist and award-winning filmmaker interested in what is hiding in the dark crevices of the American landscape and collective psyches, believing truth is found in the dark before it shines in the light. Her first feature film, The Prison Within , won eight awards. A thought leader in criminal justice reform, Katherin has been featured in various media publications. Her mixed media artworks and creative fiction have been showcased in galleries and literary journals. Follow Katherin Hervey < Previous Next > comments debug Comments Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Write a comment. End comment with your name (optional) Поділіться думками Залиште перший коментар.