Dane in New York City
Dane in New York City.
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Prologue NYC is not invincible.
On parole
On parole.
I was recently released from prison last November, so in my mind I’m thinking about what I need to do on parole with this programme. And I was just proud of myself for staying on the right track. That was my mental space for the first few months of this year.
Then March hit…"
Lockdown prison.
Getting ready
Getting ready.
A great potential. Photograph: The Doe Fund.
A great potential. Photograph: The Doe Fund.
Because from a young age I always saw the great potential that I had, I just didn’t know how to exercise it, or even that it could be exercised when looking at the way young black men are being handled by different institutions, and the way we’re projected in the media.
So it took a while for me to realise I could choose to take the high road in all situations, and show others that they can avoid a lot of the stress like what I went through.”
Foster homes
Foster homes.
A tranquile spot
A tranquile spot.
Outside, looking in
Outside, looking in.
It's way deeper
It's way deeper.
It's way deeper.
But when you have institutions who dictate what and how this information should be portrayed, that’s where the problem comes, cause I could give you all the information that’s in the story I’m trying to present.
But if you control the narrative, then, no, words and images are so malleable to really manipulate, that’s exactly what it is, it’s manipulation of minds and people.
To have - you know - the entire eight minutes of George Floyd’s on the news was unnecessary, you didn’t have to show the image of a weak black man crying to his mother and crying out to Jesus as he’s dying with a white officer’s knee on his neck. That was not necessary in order to tell the story.
But when you do something like that, not only is it heart wrenching for people to watch, but it also reinforces the image of weak black men in society. And people treat us as such, anywhere I go, on a daily basis I’m treated as if I’m inferior.
They have a specific race that is in their best interest to keep at a certain socioeconomic level and they will do anything in their power to ensure that happens. It sounds extremist but it is actually the reality and how do you get other people to believe that who are not impacted.”
It's way deeper.
First time voter
First time voter.
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For more from our global contributors in lockdown roam our digital exhibition or you might like one of the stories below:
Stella in NYC
Michael in New York.
Florence in Lima
Vera in Brussels
Marianne in Arizona
Adam in Beijing
Marie in Paris
Ildiko in Vientiane
Jonas & Johannes in Berlin
Elisenda in Mannleu
Muntaha in Kashmir
Suzanne in Hanoi
Alessia in Dublin
Dima in Sri Lanka
Gaurav in Jhansi
Gabriel & Ross in Lima
Seamus in Melbourne