I live in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, historically home to African American and Caribbean communities, many of my neighbors were born and raised in this tight-knit, working-class community. Over the years the area has been under threat from gentrification and real estate development.

I have been working on the project “The Bed Stuy Social ‘Photo’ Club” since 2018. Creating a popup outdoors Photo Studio at my front yard. I offered free portraits for members of the community, where they would select props, and add-ons to create something unique.

 

Despite there being an abundance of colorful characters with incredible histories and stories to tell, these are often people who you would pass by on the street and fail to see the spotlight that they are in – I wanted to treat them like superstars. Because they are.

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