The Right Answer

"Our summer civil rights journey loosely follows the path of the 1961 Freedom Rides, and throughout our journey, the students had the opportunity to meet with many freedom riders and hear their first-hand accounts of facing beatings, jail, and the prospect of death to fight for integration, legal equality, and acceptance. We had with us a copy of Eric Ethridge's Breach of Peace, a collection of Freedom Rider mugshot photos along with contemporary portraits. Those mugshots showed up again and again, in museums exhibits, documentaries, and in the hands of the riders themselves, who would proudly carry those photos with them when they'd address our students. We began to see them not as pieces of prison procedure, but rather as a proud documentation of the values that the riders stood up for--justice, equality, decency, humanity. 

Upon returning from our journey and beginning the work of turning our students into tomorrow's leaders and change-makers, we thought it might be interesting to recreate those mugshots, replacing the prison numbers with those values. Each student was told to write a few focused words about what Operation Understanding means to them. We hope they will take those words--and the photo--out into the world as they graduate from the program and begin making change."

Avi Edelman, Operation Understanding DC program director.

I made these photos of OUDC class 20 students recently. I think who these young people are, and what they and the program are doing is the right answer, the right approach to moving our world in the direction of wisdom, peace, and justice.

Thanks to OUDC's executive director Aaron Jenkins, program director Avi Edelman, trip coordinators Maurice Durval Wilkins Jr. and Eleni Zimiles, and all the bright lights of Class 20: Jack Arnholz, Elias Benda, Ari Brinson, Maya Bornstein, Henry Bowe, Ashyln Champ, Erica Davidson, Jarod Golub, Jabraughn Hill, Christopher Hopson, Maxwell Kanefield, Rachel Matheson, Madison Matthews, Joshua Mitchell, Mitchell Moran-Kaplan, Joy Nicholas, Matthew Paschall, Benjamin Satloff, Jessica Schwalb, Ruthie Sherman, Kadiata Toumbou, Eric Washington, Morgan Williams, and KaJuan Willis.

Peace. Salaam. Shalom.

Two serendipitously-selected out there observations from the past month

These scenes caught my attention and embedded themselves into the ebb and flow of information through my synapses.

One image transpired at the US Institute of Peace, the other channelled itself into my consciousness while making a portrait of a distinguished editor.

Data. Eyes. There you have it.

Love ( new union)

Outtake from a wedding I recently photographed, of Ben and Luana Rubin.

Love.

L'shana tovah- a happy new year 2014/ 5775

A blessed and happy new year to all.

Morning prayers : Elul

These photographs are of morning minyan shacharit prayers at Kesher Israel congregation, in Georgetown, Washington DC. They were for an article in Washington Jewish Week.

Thank you to the members of the congregation.

Advocates for Youth- Urban Retreat ( love and revolution )

I recently photographed Advocates for Youth's Urban Retreat, in DC. They are all about rights, respect, and responsibility.

From their mission statement "Advocates for Youth champions efforts to help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates believes it can best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health."

I love their reason for being, and the vitality they bring to creating a healthier, more just society.

Eyes and minds open.

 

Business not as usual

I recently photographed at a new Gold's Gym in Marumsco Virginia, the tenth opened by the husband-wife team of Lori and Jeremy Lowell.

Fun and creative folks. These corporate board photos give a sense of their verve and personality. Definitely not dull and dour businesspeople.

The brightly colored images are of bubble soccer, a program thy've brought to this site.