Photography as Resistance in America
Hope, the idea of resistance.
Hope & Resistance
I can’t explain the stress of what it feels like to live in the United States right now. At one end of the pendulum, you have Stephen Miller and Trump telling you that you’re not welcome here because of the color of your skin. At the other end, you have people telling you that you should be quiet and stay out of the spotlight because it may draw attention from the government. I refuse to walk silently towards my death. I will speak for those who have a muzzle around their mouths from the government.
”Your white supremacy will not change the narrative of my struggle.”
The world is still a world of wonder and love, even if these white supremacists refuse to see it. I see it. I hear it. I want to share it. I think it’s even more important now to share photographs that document the times but also show hope. Hope can have so many different implications to different people; it may be the sounds of kids laughing, playing your favorite sport, or seeing your kids read for the first time. Whatever it may be, photography lets us document it. It’s priceless.
The one thing Trump despises more than anything is people like me, those he sees as misfits from so-called “shithole countries,” who dare to speak out, offer hope, and work together to reject racism in all its forms.
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
— Martin Luther King Jr., Riverside Church sermon, New York, April 4, 1967
It’s easy to speak up when nothing’s on the line. When it’s safe, when your rights aren’t being questioned, and when the system’s built to protect you. But every time I press the shutter on my camera, write something on Substack, or post a video, I’m putting myself at risk. And honestly, I’ve made peace with that. That’s the price I’m willing to pay to tell the truth.
But the real question is this: when we’ve got everything to lose, and you’re sitting in safety, will you speak up for us?
Will the people with white privilege use their voice when it actually matters, or will they stay quiet and scroll past like it’s not their fight?
