#MyWestSideStory is a testament to the enduring strength of Chicago’s West Side, a visual diary that speaks to the soul of the community.
Through the lens of my camera, I seek to capture not just the faces of the people, but the very essence of their lives their struggles, their triumphs, and their undeniable resilience.
This project is a love letter to the streets, the culture, and the spirit that pulse through this neighborhood a tribute to the Black experience that often remains overlooked by the world.
The first chapter, From the West Side, With Love, invites you into a world beyond the headlines a world where lives are lived fully despite the weight of systemic hardship. Through intimate portraits and raw, unguarded moments, I aim to present a story that challenges the images often projected onto the West Side. These are the faces of strength, of unity, of pride a counter to the narrow narratives of crime and neglect.
In this work, I don’t just seek to show what is, but what can be. I want you to feel the streets beneath your feet, hear the laughter that rises up from the corners, and sense the deep history in the air. The project is more than a collection of images it is an invitation to walk these streets, to see this community not as outsiders, but as members of a larger, shared human experience. I hope that through these photographs, the residents of the West Side will see themselves not as victims of circumstance, but as architects of their own narrative proud of their past and empowered by their present.
From the West Side, With Love is not just a documentation of a place; it is a celebration of its people. It amplifies voices that have been silenced, giving them a space to speak their truth and claim their own story. It is a reminder that the heart of this community beats not in its trials, but in its triumphs its beauty, its unity, and the power of its people. In these images, I see not just faces, but the very heart of Chicago a heart that refuses to break, even in the face of adversity. This is a story that must be told, not just for the West Side, but for the world to see. [Official Website]
