I went on a Black Heritage Tour of Amsterdam and found that so much of the historical impact and influence Black Europeans had on the Netherlands is very hidden and almost removed from the history of Amsterdam. Though the actual influence of my culture here in the Netherlands is so vast, only a very small, hard-to-locate portion of said history can actually be found in Amsterdam.
I call this series ‘Hide and Seek’ because so much of the ugly truths of slavery and the treatment of Black Europeans specifically in Amsterdam is if not all hidden not only publicly but in history as well. The information was hidden-and I chose to seek it out. Spending time with native Black Dutch Europeans I was able to see how though we may be far from each other geographically, we share the same story and struggle being Black in a world that always sees us as second-class.
Having a background in film, I bring a certain storytelling narrative and style to all of my photography. I use this as a way to further progress whatever creative idea that I am trying to tell visually. I like to use real people in real world locations and direct them into a narrative of my choosing.
My project for ‘Eyes in Progress’ is the derived from my own personal journey of learning more about my culture and heritage of a Black American by learning more about the historical and modern life of Black Europeans.