While many perceive the Upper West Side as a homogeneously wealthy white neighborhood, its working class Black and Latinx community has a rich history that has continuously been erased as its residents fight gentrification and displacement. The West Side Commons, led by Kelley Williams and Erica Bynum, is an organization committed to protecting what’s left of the community’s roots from upheaval. 

This photo series was developed during the summer of 2022, which I spent teaching a photo-based curriculum to the young scholars. The moments photographed center rest, play and connection; a silly face made at the camera or a moment of tenderness between friends. By magnifying these moments, the series aims to highlight the importance of preserving and fostering community for the generations to come. In a city that has historically pushed Black and Latinx communities in and out of neighborhoods at the demand of its white residents, the youth at the Commons provide us with much needed hope--they deserve all of the joy, care and support the city has to offer.

Names of the scholars have been excluded from the captions for privacy.