Black Photographers Form “See In Black” Collective To Help Tell Black Stories

By wazup on November 3, 2020 Comments Closed / 88 views

Black Photographers Form “See In Black” Collective To Help Tell Black Stories

Black Photogs Joshua Kissi & Micaiah Carter Form "See In Black" Collective

Source: Avel Shah / EyeEm / Getty

These Black photographers have taken it upon themselves to make sure OUR stories are told correctly.

Joshua Kissi and Micaiah Carter decided to take matters into their hands, focusing on how people view Black lives following the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police officers. Speaking with GQ, Kissi accurately points out that “My skin color is weaponized and radicalized in so many different ways,” adding, “I’m also a son, I’m a brother, I’m a husband.”

The two photographers took it upon themselves to start a collective called See In Black, which features other Black photographers, Anthony Coleman, Florian Koenigsberger, Andre D. Wagner, and Dani Kwateng. Speaking on the collective’s goal, Carter detailed, “We wanted to do something for our own community,” he added, “to show that we are unified. We have power in numbers.”

Right out of the gate, See In Black’s first initiative, a successful two-week print sale launched back in 2019, featured the work from over more than 80 photographers from all over the country, including established and young up-and-coming photogs. The sale featured affordable prints, only costing $100, and See In Black plans on doing more. Unfortunately, the Whitney Museum of American Art exploited the sale and bought several prints, later revealing to the artists that their work would be featured in a “protest-themed show.” It was immediately canceled after See In Black issued a response denouncing the show on Instagram.

Carter closed out the piece with GQ by stating that See In Black will not just focus on Black trauma.

“With Black photographers specifically, we’re not focusing just on Black trauma, but we’re trying to expand—what even is Blackness? We can create work as a community that can further—not explain ourselves, but give more light to our history.”

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THANK YOU to everyone who purchased a print from See In Black to support causes that align with our vision of Black prosperity. We hope this summary offers transparency on how the funds were distributed. Our proceeds from the Vol. 001 – Black In America print sale totaled $502,052.16. Five percent ($25,104.61) went to our fiscal sponsor @heartsofgoldnyc , a Black-centric org supporting NYC’s homeless mothers and children. The remaining 5 splits of $95,389.51 went to each of our partner orgs: @yourrightscamp that educates Black and brown youth about self-empowerment, mass mobilization, and how to become change leaders. @yepnola that engages underserved youth in New Orleans through mentoring, employment readiness, and arts programs tied to bettering their communities. @nbjconthemove a public-policy focused organization that advocates for Black LGBTQ/SGL people, including people living with HIV/AIDS. @bailproject whose team provides free bail assistance to low-income individuals who are legally presumed innocent. @blackfutureslab that engages Black voters and studies how policy affects Black communities to educate and challenge policymakers. #SeeInBlack

A post shared by See In Black (@seeinblackproject) on Sep 29, 2020 at 1:19pm PDT

Photo: Avel Shah / EyeEm / Getty