In her book Photography and Black Life, bell hooks writes about how images have played a strong role in shaping the identities and cultural histories of black women. This semester, I set out on on a journey to discover how Black women have learned to embrace their blackness as an oppositional narrative to the negative images we often encounter. 

In this endeavor, I interviewed 2 women over the age of 70 and 2 college-aged women to learn about their journeys as they sought to find beauty in their blackness. Thinking about their childhood and how they’ve transformed over the years, these women present stories that speak to the non-monolithic nature of the life of a black woman, while still presenting similar themes. When did you first realize you were black? What images played a role in shaping your identity as a black woman? How do you see beauty in your blackness? These are their stories.

Finding Beauty

In the summer of 2018, I had the honor of learning and capturing the stories of 3 students at Made in Durham–– an organization that helps early school leavers find alternative pathways to continue their education, and one that I care for deeply.
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As I listened to and absorbed these students’ narratives, I was introduced to the beauty and the backbone that existed in each stride of their journeys. This work is a tribute to their success and to the people who helped them build their wings.
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Through a photo and audio double medium, my aim is to give you a window into their magic and open the door to dialogue that disrupts the popular, yet reduced rendering of a high school dropout by exposing the complexity, structural barriers, and diversity that exists within their experiences.

amir analise