Dear Friends and Supporters,
With sincere gratitude and humility, I am thrilled to share that I have been selected as the recipient of the Creative Engagement grant to pursue my photo project. This joint grant was awarded to me by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), with the support of the office of New York Governor Hochul's office and the New York State legislature. It is an honor to have the opportunity to bring this project to life, and I am excited to share more about it in the coming months.
My project is centered on revisiting the 1961 Freedom Rides, documenting the stories of surviving participants, creating oral histories, and photographing modern life along the old Freedom Ride routes. The Freedom Rides challenged segregation of interstate transportation facilities and led to the ICC's ban on segregation and segregationist signage in bus terminals and all other public places of interstate travel. This was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights movement and is a significant part of our nation's history.
Through this project, I hope to celebrate the legacy of the Civil Rights movement and explore the ways in which its impact continues to shape our society today. The Freedom Rides Project aims to educate people about the transformative events that transpired, the key individuals behind the movement, and the impact the Freedom Rides had on the Civil Rights Movement. As a result of their honor and bravery, the ICC was compelled by the Kennedy administration to ban segregation and segregationist signage in bus terminals and all other public places of interstate travel. This was a key advancement that led to the eventual dismantling of the Jim Crow Laws with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
I am excited to share that this project will culminate in an exhibit during the New York City debut of The Freedom Rides Opera, by Dan Shore that is being produced by International Concerts. Following this, there will be an exhibit at the CaShaMa gallery, located at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. Additional gallery shows will be announced soon.
I believe that art and history have the power to inspire change and make a difference in our world, and I am grateful to the LMCC, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the NYSCA for supporting this vision. I look forward to sharing my work with you all, and I hope that it will spark meaningful conversations and encourage greater understanding and empathy.
Thank you for your support and encouragement as I embark on this journey.
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