‘We live in the shadow’: Inner-city kids tell their stories through photographs (original) (raw)

Visual Studies, 2014

Abstract

ABSTRACT “We Live in the Shadow,” captures the perceptions of 54 at-risk kids ages 12-15 years-old about their world within the inner-city of South- Central, LA. Thirty-four kids attended the USC sponsored Neighborhood Academic Initiative Program (NAI). The rest attended Willard Center Afterschool Program. The USC program offered them a path to an education at USC and the ability to critique their present lives. These kids challenge the assumptions and theoretical perspectives about dangerous, lazy and gang involved inner-city kids. These kids challenge these stereotypes by taking their cameras into their community, into their classrooms and into their living rooms. What we learn from these photos and stories is that they refuse to be labeled as Aghetto thugs@as outsiders do. While these kids see South-Central as dangerous, they also see themselves as confident enough to not to let the inner-city take them down. They develop powerful themes about social class, race and ethnic inequality and to some extent gender inequality, power and dominance. In fact, their openness shows them to be quite intent on lending their voices to the sociological and political discourse about kids’ inner-city life.

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