An Arts and Social Justice Project
I intend to use photography to facilitate change in a racially divided community.
I have been involved in social justice issues, primarily pertaining to diversity, racism and intercultural matters for the last 15 years. In fact, this interest compelled me to go back to school to seek a master’s degree in Intercultural Relations so that I could go out into the world and facilitate hot dialogues and do meaningful trainings. But what I found was a bunch of academics doing PowerPoint presentations and expecting people to have profound shifts in their attitudes. This is when I began to think about the arts as the medium to touch people’s emotions and, when used consciously with intention, the arts provide an opportunity for people to gather together and either reaffirm who they are or determine what they aspire to become. I began going to photography school and found my passion late in life. It is my dream to use photography as a critical component in the first of what we hope will be many arts-centered projects designed to engage a community in a constructive dialogue about race.
The project I am speaking of is already in the planning and funding stages and will take place in Asheville, North Carolina during the fall of this year. The timing commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Greensboro massacre. Colleagues of mine who are both artists and great facilitators of change have been in dialogue with the city of Asheville for the last 2 years. They have the buy-in of the police department, the City Manager, churches, schools, leadership and other organizations as well as the University of North Carolina. A production of the play, Greensboro: A Requiem, will be the anchor and centerpiece for several community-wide art projects, events and exhibits. All of these will be accompanied by trainings and seminars on how to have generative “hot conversations.”
There is a huge part for photography, video and digital stories to play in this event. The most obvious is to document it, which is a task that will necessitate more lenses than just mine. Therefore, I would like to supply kids from different sectors of the Ashville community with point ‘n shoot cameras so that they become cultural informants for the bigger community by photographing what is salient to them about their own. As we all know, it often takes us holding a camera to our eyes before we can see the extraordinary in our ordinary. It is also my dream that their cameras would give my camera access to communities that would otherwise be closed to me. My dream is to orchestrate the empowerment of as many voices as possible through the collection and documentation of photographs and, for some, the creation of digital stories.
The Greensboro Massacre took place 30 years ago but let’s not fool ourselves. In 2008 the Southern Poverty Law Center documented 926 active hate groups in the United States and an estimated 191,000 reported and unreported hate crimes occurring annually. These are record highs and are being fueled by the rise in non-white immigration, the economy and the rise to power of a black president. These are critical times. The hope is that the “Greensboro Project” will become a prototype for community-driven driven growth and change where diverse community members work together, utilizing the rich resources of their diversity, toward a common intention. Documenting it through photographic projects is imperative to sharing it with other communities who have expressed similar interest.
So far there are no funds earmarked for the photographic component of this project. I would appreciate your support in helping me manifest this dream.
33 Comments
Kids with cameras, that's got to be a good idea - and with your skills for photography, organization, and facillitation, the project is bound to be a success.
YES! Excellent! Keep me posted! All best - Karen
You are such a beautiful being for offering this into a world that so desperately needs to see more clearly - thank you!
Great idea!!! This is important work and you will do a great job!
"Out of the mouths of babes!" Seeing through innocent eyes is always humbling and illuminating. Good luck to you both and let us know how you're doing!
Great idea, and a great fit for you! Good luck!
This may be a dream, but I am sure you will make it come true. mm
this is your best work yet. I love the idea of extending your eye to the eyes of children in the community. Great work.
Lora--what a major project....very interesting....and such an important one. I so hope you will win. Rosemary
You have my vote... please return the favor!
Hope you win - sounds like a great project. Ken & Loida
Sounds like a very worthwhile project. Bravo to you for wanting to make it happen!
Lora,
Thank you for sharing your passion and wisdom. I vote for your success. We all learn with our eyes and in this case through yours.
Growing up poor with a passion for the arts is so rough on a kid. I know.
I believe and support your dream.
See what I have to dream about and leave a comment if you like.
Good luck! I've voted for you.
Great project idea. Good luck.
amy
thank you, thank you for having the will and energy to try to make america a more tolerant place. to have so much ignorance, poverty, and prejudice in this country is a crying shame and i applaud your effort to do something about all three.
Dear Lora,
You rock!
Love & support
uschi/ursula
Lora, You will draw this community together with the visual record of their experience. People will see themselves and know they can join together to achieve change. Thank you, David
What a terrific idea -- I'll be very interested in seeing the results!
Lora, Good luck, we hope you win. Jeanne
Kudos Lora, I wish you all the best of luck! You will win!
I hope, I hope, I hope, that while you're working on this project, you thoroughly investigate the origins of the "Communist Party Workers" who came to town, and recruited well meaning members of our community into their fold.
They made sure the Klan showed up that day, it was the only way they could bring attention to their "cause" which was not so much Communism but fame for themselves, and they put good people in the line of fire.
BTW, I am a dues paying member of the SPLC. I graduated from Dudley in 1974. I watched the newscast in horror, from a Decatur GA bowling alley, and I knew why that sh*t happened that day, and by God, those people were slaughtered. (Sorry for 3 posts, there's a 300 character limit! per post.)
Lora,
Good luck and I hope you win!
Jennifer Green
suerte! I know you will make it happen!
WOW! Lora this great! U have exactly what it takes to get this dream going. I wish u the best of luck!!!!!
Lora,
What a GREAT idea. We know you have what it takes to do this. You have all our love and support. The best of luck!!!!!!
Carina and Syvana
Lora...
My thoughts and prayers are with you...
many blessings and love,
Nancy & the Wild Purple Ranch
Lora, I've always admired your passion and love of life! I know the project will be a huge success and many thanks for your gifts to the humankind. Mark
Interesting idea, check out mine and vote for me if you like it. Its about poverty and society in 3rd world countries and how they are controlled, devastated by their governments and western industrialized nations. http://tinyurl.com/chy79g
Excellent and compelling concept, I have a funny feeling that you will find success.
Submitted by
madelora
FatherJohn
Good for you, this is a worthy dream! Before the housing crash, we were going to sell/move to Hendersonville or Brevard. We love that part of NC. As for the hate, yes it exists. It is manifested more towards Hispanics today than ever before, but it knows no boundaries. Here's my vote & best wishes.