Harlem Unmasked: is a portrait series, visual story and think piece showcasing the solidarity of Black residents in Harlem, NY during the global outbreak of the coronavirus (Covid-19) in April 2020. At the time, the only defense against the deadly virus was wearing face coverings and gloves to help minimize the spread. While it captures a masked community, Harlem Unmasked is a paradoxical project that seeks to provoke and reveal what this pandemic actually unmasked in our lives.
Hysteria and panic best characterize the feelings of most people during the early weeks of the virus. Government officials ordered citizens to leave their home only for essential items; the news reported thousands of deaths; and hospitals exceeded capacities for care due to limited resources and treatment options for the virus. Sadly, Black communities were among the hardest hit by the virus. Centuries of systemic racism left communities without adequate access to healthcare and most vulnerable to exposure as Black people disproportionately labor in service industries and occupations categorized as essential work. These realities often resulted in untimely deaths and serious illness among members of the community.
Despite these realities, Black residents in Harlem and across the country armored themselves with personal protective equipment and took the necessary precautions to ensure their safety and the sustainability of the community. Harlem Unmasked reflects this effort, illuminating Black people consciously engaged in socially responsible behavior to preserve themselves and the communities in which they live. These actions are not new, but reveal important and beautiful truths about who we are as a people: resilient, brave, supportive, and vigilant in the face of extreme adversity. What’s even more unique is that what accompanies our resistance to external threats is a colorful and expressed style and swagger that is definitive and unmatched.
In the spirt of artists like Daywoud Bey, Gordon Parks, and Carrie Mae Weems, Harlem Unmasked uses photography as an archive and mirror of the Black experience to remind us of our esteem and edify us with reflections of our beauty, diversity, and strength. Our hope through this project is that we continue to harness our collective action to advance our healing, open up conversation and movement toward social justice, develop community agreements anchored in radical love, support local businesses and our economic development, care for our environment, and maintain respect for the essential professions, among other areas that uplift our community. When we literally unmask, we must also unmask the issues that we’ve masked for far too long. After experiencing this portrait series, we would like the viewers to reflect on the questions below, in order to open up healthy community dialogue.
What have you unmasked about yourself during this pandemic? What do you hope is unmasked about our community and our world that will usher in change?
*The photos in the collection were captured on an iPhone XS and iPhone 8 plus.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Synchana Madonna Elkerson
For as long as she can remember Elkerson’s passion was to impact her community in an evolutionary and transformative way. She believes that it’s through (mental health counseling and education, public policy, art) true human connection and meaningful relationships, that social change is not only birthed but sustained. A community organizer and mental health counselor, Elkerson leveraged her expertise to uplift her community as Communications Director for the legendary African American Day Parade in Harlem, NY. For over 50 years, the parade has celebrated and showcased African American legacy and achievement. Elkerson spearheaded the parade’s rebranding and contributed to expanding the organization to digital platforms to introduce the parade to a broader audience. The work was very rewarding as it allowed her to combat the negative imagery and stereotypical portrayals of African Americans with examples of African American pride, dignity, and joy.
Elkerson received her undergraduate degree in Legal & Policy Studies from Fordham University and received her masters degree in Mental Health Counseling from Manhattan College. She is currently a Psychotherapist at the Soho Center for Mental Health, working with individuals and couples. Her mental health practices focus on increasing cultural competency techniques and interventions to improve the effectiveness of counseling for people of color. She primarily serves populations whose cultures and backgrounds often stigmatize mental health. She can be found on PsychologyToday.com and Therapy4BlackGirls.com
Jonathan Matthew Williams
Williams believes in the power of media and communication for social change. His work the past decade includes mobilizing thousands for social impact and cultural campaigns, skilling up teams and executives as a DEI/leadership facilitator for tech companies across the globe, and producing research and media content to foster a society where people can live, love, and work without harm. His previous projects include social impact programs addressing education inequity, anti-bias, bullying prevention, and inclusive entrepreneurship. He’s also executive produced an award-winning documentary chronicling Wake Forest University’s decision to desegregate — the South’s first private University to do so — and an oral history project exploring interpersonal bias that was recognized by Public Radio’s News Director Association.
Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s Degree in Communication from Wake Forest University. His research centers the state-sanctioned violence and trauma experienced by Black people across the identity spectrum and how its contested online. While most of the nation almost exclusively focuses on police violence that cisgender black men experience,Williams opts to explore the role that gender, gender identity, and race play to ensure we develop more holistic solutions to systemic inequality. He also uses his personal experience with marginalization as a queer Black man from the rural South to discuss the importance of intersectionality, just leadership, and the current movement for Black Lives. Some of the most prominent coverage of his work include: South by Southwest, the Personal Democracy Forum, TEDx, Fortune Magazine, Fast Company, NPR, and RaceForward.