Curator's Notes:

I've noticed the photo of a person taking a photo or holding a camera is somewhat iconic. I've included a series of photos like these found in Umi's archive because they mark the role of photography in the lives of Black people. There is a long history of documenting of Black life. Even before the invention of the camera, we were assessed and measured, marked and categorized to be surveilled and controlled by others. Images have been used to determine who is human, from the cranial taxonomies of early anthropologists to contemporary facial recognition technology that continues to fail to recognize Black people. There are a LOT of photos in Umi's Archive and against the backdrop of that history, the choice to invest time and money into capturing so many moments stands out to me as a form of self-determination: I will capture myself the way I see myself and want to be known.