Stories for Action Exhibit: Voices of Youth

“My name is David, and I am from Florida then moved to DC at a young age. Throughout my time in DC I found new beliefs, the main one being that I believe that everyone here in America should be treated equally and given equal rights/benefits. What inspires me to continue growing as an individual is my mother who raised me despite the struggles she has living here in DC My photograph of the youth being at a park with friends and family challenges the dominant narrative that the youth are always on their phones and not spending time outside or with others. This dominant narrative needs to be toned down because it makes it seem that the youth are lazy and unproductive just for having a phone. My photo here is to prove that we do spend time with our surroundings and we do care about the things around us whether it be our environment or people. I believe in us, the youth. I believe that despite how we are portrayed, we can make the biggest differences since we are the future. We decide how America will be in the future. I believe we can change the world and get rid of the root of America’s problems such as discrimination and racism. Which is why I want the older folks to stop criticizing the youth and not to portray us as lazy and unaware and start portraying us as the change America needs.”

“Hi, my name is Delina, and I’m originally from Ethiopia! Through my photography, I am trying to bring light to the part of Ethiopia that most people don’t know about or tend to forget. What inspired me to focus my project on Ethiopia was because of what my friends at school associated Ethiopia with – uncivilized people who face extreme drought, poverty, and war. When my friends first shared their views of Ethiopia with me, I was shocked because when I was growing up in Ethiopia and other parts of the world, this view never crossed my mind. After all, Ethiopia to me is more than just poverty and war – it is my home and I wanted other people to approach this from a more informed perspective, acknowledging the diverse people, rich history, and culture which I have attempted to advocate for through my photography.”

“My name is Emely and I am a freshman in high school. I like animals, music, and just minding my business. I like to hang out with my friends but also being by myself because I like the peace and quiet. I am the only child so it really makes sense why I like being alone. I believe that whatever you put your mind to then anything is possible. At first I didn’t really believe in that or I wasn’t in the right mindset but my mom made me realize those negative thoughts can close many doors for you. She’s my inspiration and somebody I look up to because she believes in me even if I fail at something. My photographs are mainly the aesthetic of life and nature. This challenges my dominant narrative because it’s a very serious topic to talk about so it’s difficult to take a creative photo that makes it show the message I’m trying to say. I believe in my voice and others as well. Our voices can be heard in any serious situation. Many things can change if we work together and fight for what’s right.”

“My Name is Fawie. I am just a kid from Togo. I’m inspired by my friends and my country, but I believe the most inspirational person is my friend Reine. My photographs are just for fun, my friends, and the environment. I believe taking photos is just a moment you pick to capture the emotions that you have.”

“My name is Jamal. I play video games, like shoes, and enjoy playing sports. What matters to me is my family. The photos I take are usually just random, anything I find cool. I hope the world can be a better place than it is now, and I can be part of the change.”

“My name is Kailyn, and I am hoping for a safe [DC] and to stop gentrification. I believe everyone deserves good resources like better homes and stores, but they should not only be available to people based on the color of their skin. I’m inspired by the city I live in, with the beauty and power of it all. My photograph of Georgia [Avenue], Petworth shows a challenge to this dominant narrative that there are parts of the city that people don’t really talk about or visit. DC is a beautiful city, but people don’t give resources to the people in need, so places can feel gloomy. I believe in safety and resources for all, not by skin color. I am fighting for the betterment of all people so they can get the resources for themselves and their families. I am advocating for the government not to choose favorites and think of what people really deserve.”

“Hello! I am Sage, a 16-year-old girl who is super passionate about the overall well-being of the human race and the health of our earth. I’m greatly inspired by the happiness of humans as a society. With that, we can create wonderful things. With the human race growing in overall happiness, we all can reduce the amount of violence and lack of empathy towards one another and towards our home, Earth. My photography represents the need for compassion towards our environment and how we need to care for the roots of our planet because of how much we have damaged everything around us due to our progression and development as a society. Over time, we rapidly created all sorts of pollutants which are all extremely toxic and harmful to everyone. I definitely look forward to change regarding how we go about the care of our planet. Hopefully, we can slow down on poisoning our sea life, invading animals’ homes, forcing extinctions, and polluting our homes as well. I believe that we can slowly, over time, fix our planet and save it while we still can.”