While it has been incredible to witness how the global creative community have really rallied around some very important causes over the last few months — from supporting Covid-19 relief to fighting racial injustice — it’s vital that we continue to raise the voices of Black creatives. Black photographers, in particular, have been documenting life outside the white gaze for decades, playing a critical role in Black prosperity and acting as historians of Black life in its course.
It is for that reason that the latest print sale See in Black was created. Celebrating the work of over 80 Black photographers, it aims to help dismantle white supremacy and systemic oppression in the industry and beyond — by giving 100% of the sale’s proceeds to five social justice nonprofits: Know Your Rights Camp, Youth Empowerment Project, National Black Justice Coalition, Black Futures Lab and The Bail Project. According to the sale’s founders, these organisations support five key pillars of Black advancement: civil rights, education and arts, intersectionality, community building and criminal justice reform.
“We wanted to find organisations that did a plethora of things for specific communities, but also national communities — different intersections that need outreach, and need more eyes upon what they do and how people can help,” co-founder Micaiah Carter says in a press statement. “With Covid-19 being such a pandemic, [this is] putting more attention on the movement, because people have more time to focus. It’s great to see everyone come together and show a vision of America — Black America, that is.”
Works for sale include those by many emerging talents and some of i-D’s favourites, among them Joshua Woods, Renell Medrano and Arielle Bobb-Willis. “As Black photographers we have the responsibility to put out truthful images of ourselves that may or may not stem from our own experiences, but reflect the greater community,” co-founder Joshua Kissi says. “Creativity — especially in respect to photography — has this beautiful way of often starting with an artist, but ultimately reflecting humanity.”
Prints from artists will be available from now until July 3, at www.SeeInBlack.com. 100% of profits will go towards the aforementioned charitable funds.
