New York State; A woman rides north on a Greyhound Bus throughout New York State in the 1980's. The African American woman reminded me of a civil rights worker who may have been traveling on a bus in the 1960s.

Gentilly, LA.Four young men working for the Tiffany Gautier Chase campaign. She is a a political candidate running for Civil District Court Judge. The young men are Eddy Oliver, a Dillard College major, Abram Taylor in 10th grade,Jabrield Jones, 10th grade and Joshua Taylor, a Nursing student at Dillard. The focus of my story was to examine how New Orleans was surviving under dire conditions following Hurricane Katrina.

Suffern, NY; Die-In for Kimani Gray 2013_ Willie Trotman, President of NAACP Spring Valley and Ken Mercer at Die-in on RCC's community college campus. Events such as Die-Ins led to massive international Black Lives Matter marches. An article published in the New York Times: As officers got out of the car to question him, Mr. Gray turned and pointed a .38-caliber Rohm revolver at them, the police said; two officers fired, hitting the teenager. He was pronounced dead a short time later at Kings County Hospital Center.

Philadelphia, PA. Marjorie Davis, 35 of Cleveland, Ohio holds a "I'm One in A Million" sign in a crowd among thousands of women who gathered in Philadelphia on the Benjamin Franklin Pkwy next to the Art Museum. Million Women March. Having press credentials, I was able to stand above the crowd. It was important to show the masses of black women who attended the event. On October 25, 1997, an estimated 750,000 African American women gathered together to march down the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia to focus on their trials, circumstances, and successes.  The day-long march and program of prayer, music, and inspirational speeches, which began at the Liberty Bell and ended on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Some of the pressing issues included the economic deterioration of African American communities, the importance of nurturing young children in a positive environment, finding a collective voice in politics and the civil rights movement, and strengthening black families.  The march was designed to inspire African American women across the nation to work for their own improvement as well as that of their communities.

Lower Ninth Ward,, New Orleans, LA. Tyrone Williams, a construction worker takes out his temporary New Jersey id. He evacuated to Newark, NJ when Hurricane Katrina hit and worked temporarily selling in New Jersey Christmas trees. Police officers often request Black drivers to produce identification when they are pulled over. When Black people are stopped in their cars, it is referred to as “Driving While Black”.

New Orleans, LA; Leah Hodges, a community activist with Common Cause talks on the phone to a client. Many days Ms. Hodges got very little to eat as restaurants were not open for business and there was little clean water. She was dealing with many issues within her own family. She testified to Congress that Katrina victims died from abject poverty. For me, she defined the human spirit.

Michael Moody, 33 is living in the Lower 9th Ward with his wife and family. His sister-in-law, Aileen Preston and her son live down the street in a rental house. One of his sons used to live around the corner and he'd visit daily, now he isn't sure of where he is. I also noticed a medical issue that was disturbing. due to the volume of water and dampness, many residents had mold growing on their skin which if not studied resembled tattoos. As much as I was determined to show how New Orleans was progressing after Hurricane Katrina, not all stories were positive but were essential to share.

Philadelphia, PA. 1999; Rally in support of Mumia Abu Jamal. Black and white images taken at “Millions for Mumia Rally” in Philadelphia. The rally was in support of death row prisoner, father, grandfather, Black Panther, journalist, ex-NABJ president, Mumia Abu Jamal. When Mumia was arrested many of his fellow journalists turned their back on him, withdrawing support. Mumia Abu-Jamal (born Wesley Cook; April 24, 1954) is a political activist and journalist who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1982 for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. He became widely known while on death row for his writings and commentary on the criminal justice system in the United States. He produced a radio program from prison called "Live From Death Row". I learned of Mumia's plight when attending a NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists) 1994 conference in Philadelphia from a white journalist. I was shocked by the treatment of Mumia by some NABJ members.