Allyship
Understanding Performative Allyship In the wake of social movements like Black Lives Matter, the language of allyship has entered mainstream conversation. Brands issue solidarity statements. Influencers post black squares. Individuals rush to share anti-racism books or repost viral infographics. These gestures are often well-intentioned. But when disconnected from accountability or
Shifting the Gaze
Photography as Witness, Protest, and Power Some photographers make you look. Others make you see. Misan Harriman belongs in the second group. His images don’t just document moments, they amplify them. His work captures not only what is happening, but what it means. Through protest portraits, magazine covers, and
Allyship
Take a moment and scroll through your social media feed. Think about the podcasts you subscribe to, the films you watch, the books on your shelves, and the newsletters in your inbox. Now ask yourself one simple but revealing question: Who’s missing? Our timelines, both online and offline, are
Shifting the Gaze
Photography has long been a tool for observation. But for many Black photographers, it becomes something more, a way to document truth, connect with community, and honour lived experience. Adama Jalloh is one of those artists. Her work cuts through noise and spectacle. It captures people as they are. No
Allyship
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you already care. You believe in equality. You’re against racism. You might have spoken out in conversations, shared a few resources, or taken a stand when it felt important. But then comes the question that many well-meaning non-Black allies
Shifting the Gaze
Photography is more than image-making. In the hands of the right artist, it becomes a form of care, a way of seeing, holding, and honouring people and their stories. For Black creatives in Britain, this has often meant reclaiming space and reshaping narratives. It’s about challenging how we’ve
Allyship
Through the Lens of Our Work The word “ally” is everywhere. It appears in statements, hashtags, captions, and campaigns. But what does it really mean to be an ally? What does it look like in practice? And how do we know when we’re doing it well? At theBLKGZE, we
Shifting the Gaze
The Power of Photography to Reclaim Identity Photography holds a unique ability to capture moments that reveal our deepest truths. It can document history, celebrate identity, and challenge assumptions about who we are and where we come from. In recent years, a new wave of Black British photographers has emerged.
Essay
Introduction: The Gap Between Awards and Reality This photo that won won Environmental Photographer of the Year 2021 raises so many questions. 1: Why is the child sleeping in the sun? 2: Why is the child sleeping in an abandoned house? 3: Is it because the child is Black that
My Peoples
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." – Mark Twain About four years ago I was on a photo walk in downtown Atlanta. I came to an intersection and across the street I see this brother walking with the unmistakable bop of a free man carrying a little
My Peoples
The Black gaze is relatable, humanistic, empathetic, authentic, truthful, inclusive, defiant. My father Stephen Kofi Adu-Sanyah became a victim of a tragic surgical mistake in a German hospital in 2016. The doctors didn’t provide him with a blood transfusion during surgery, and let my father bleed out in front
Q&A
"The Black gaze is relatable, humanistic, empathetic, authentic, truthful, inclusive, defiant. It is important that we shape our identity and see ourselves beyond the outsiders’ limited beliefs. False beliefs stemming from a bleak history. The Black gaze allows us to see each other in an understanding and dignifying light,
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Every image belongs to its maker. We’re just holding space.