Chipping away at the Cap-‘Stone’….

Greetings,

I am currently working on my capstone project in my advanced photojournalism class. The start has been bumpy. I’ll give you the short story… I had an awesome project that focused on one young adult and the affects that being in and out of the juvenile system were having on his life. I interviewed him but when it was time to get permission to start working on the documentary aspect of the project, the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice halted me. I was sad, to say the least. But instead of moping around (for too long) I decided to dig into my bag of previous assignments to see if I could find a relevant story and/or topic. 

And miraculously, I did. 

Last summer, while interning at the Louisville Courier-Journal, I met the Duncan brothers. These young men have been through a lot. At the ages of 5 and 7 they found their mothers deceased body on a school day afternoon. Since then, they have been bounced around from one relatives house to another, never leaving each others side. Just last summer their uncle, an ex-felon and triumphant former prison circuit boxer (Approx. 122 W- 28 L), decided to adopt them as his own. He says that the judge took a chance on him getting the boys. Granted, he has 5 previous felon charges, he says it is difficult for him to find work and he is currently on disability due to health issues. 

The boys are currently members of Louisville Select Boxing, a group that focuses on getting young boys off the streets and finding an outlet for their anger. The oldest brother, Demetrius, 15, is who I have decided to focus on. By face value, he is your typical adolescence. He has a girlfriend, he likes to hang out with his friends, he enjoys playing basketball and he is a big brother. James and his fiance hark on Demetrius for keeping up his grades, being respectful to the people around him, controlling his anger and not getting caught up in “love” with teenage girls. Demetrius listens and, like most teens, tries his best to stay on the straight path. 

Boxing means a lot to Demetrius. Boxing isn’t just an outlet for anger, or a way to get stronger. For Demetrius and other black male youth in the city of Louisville, boxing is a promise for a better life. Winning this upcoming title belt at the Junior Golden Gloves event isn’t just bragging rights but it’s the beginning of a journey to get his family out of Louisville. A city that has been in the national spotlight for its high incarceration rates and recent spike in gun violence. 

I have been asked to document Demetrius in video form, which for me, is internally the most terrifying thing one could ask me to do. I am well versed in still images. I can shoot video but it isn’t my favorite thing to do. Still shooting is a breeze because it’s just you and a camera. People aren’t worried about watching what they say or how they act because a single camera isn’t that intimidating. Now, when you have a camera, a tripod and a wireless mic on your subject at ALL times, things can get weird. But as Chad Stevens said in class yesterday, “It’s college, your supposed to experiment with mediums. Get out there and do it.” 

So, here I am. Walking around looking like an octopus, hoping to tell Demetrius and his family’s story in a powerful way. 

Stay tuned. 

#42 Days ‘Til Cap and Gown!