[ music ] >> WE DON'T GROW UNLESS WE'RE UNCOMFORTABLE.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THINGS UNLESS WE'RE MAKING PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE.

IT'S YOUR LIFE, AND IT IS SAD AND IT IS TRAGIC.

I AM A SELF-TAUGHT PHOTOGRAPHER.

I STARTED PLAYING WITH CAMERAS WHEN I WAS LITTLE.

AROUND 2015 WHEN I STARTED I HAD MY FIRST NIKON SEMIPROFESSIONAL CAMERA.

AND I DROPPED IT.

IT BROKE.

THE ONLY WAY I COULD USE IT WAS IN MANUAL MODE, SO THAT FORCED ME TO LEARN HOW TO USE A CAMERA AND BALANCE EVERYTHING, WHICH IS ONE OF THE BEST ACCIDENTAL THINGS TO HAPPEN TO MY WORK.

I'M INSPIRED BY MARGARET FORK WHITE, THE FIRST WOMAN PHOTO JOURNALIST WITH "TIME" MAGAZINE, AND SHE WAS FROM CLEVELAND.

I'M INSPIRED BY HER WORK, THE IRONY SHE'S ABLE TO CAPTURE IN EVERYDAY LIFE, SO THAT'S SOMETHING TRY TO MIMIC WHERE MEER NOT POSING PEOPLE.

I'M JUST TRYING TO CAPTURE WHAT IS NATURALLY OCCURRING.

I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE MOST BEAUTY IS.

THE MOMENT YOU WANT TO CAPTURE ARE THE REAL MOMENTS, NOT THE ONES BEING MANUFACTURED.

I WORKED IN ADOPTION FOR A LONG TIME.

I WAS ACTUALLY A BIRTH PARENT ADVOCATE, SO I WAS IN THE ROOM FOR 27 BIRTHS.

I'M STILL PHOTOGRAPHING A LOT OF THE FAMILIES I WORKED WITH THERE, BUT IT HAS BEEN SUCH AN INTERESTING SHIFT FROM DOCUMENTING HAPPY, YOU KNOW, MOMENTS OF FAMILIES JOINING TOGETHER TO THE DESTRUCTION OF FAMILIES THAT IT'S JUST -- IT'S -- IT CHANGES MY WHOLE VIEWPOINT ON THE WORLD.

[ music ] WHAT'S REPRESENTED IN THIS GALLERY, I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PERSON THAT WAS SHOT AND KILLED OR BEATEN TO DEATH IN THE CASE OF JARON THOMAS, THESE ARE HUMANS THAT WERE KILLED.

THEY'RE NOT A BAD GUY, NOT A CRIMINAL, THEY ARE A HUMAN THAT WAS KILLED BY ANOTHER HUMAN.

WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO COME OUT OF THIS IS FOR US TO REALLY BE ABLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR SYSTEM, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY FLAWS IN IT.

IT'S HARD TO BE PHOTOGRAPHING ALL THIS GRIEF CONSTANTLY.

MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S ALL THE WORLD IS.

BUT THEN YOU DO GET TO BALANCE IT BECAUSE, LIKE, YOU GET TO SEE THE SMALL CELEBRATIONS THAT PEOPLE GET TO HAVE.

YOU GET TO APPRECIATE THE LITTLE JUSTICES THAT ARE BROUGHT OUT.

[ music ] WHEN I LOOK AT THE PICTURE IT BRINGS ME RIGHT BACK TO THE MOMENT IT WAS TAKEN.

SOME OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL ONES WOULD BE OF TYRIQUE KING'S FAMILY, THE MOMENT IT WAS ANNOUNCED.

THERE'S A PHOTO BACK HERE OF AMBER EVANS WHO WAS AN AMAZING COMMUNITY LEADER WHO TRAGICALLY PASSED AWAY IN EARLY 2019.

MY HEART GOES OUT TO THE ONE OF AMBER AT THE AIRPORT RAISING HER FIST.

THAT WAS 2017.

IT WAS RIGHT AFTER TRUMP HAD BEEN ININAUGURATED AND THE MUSLIM BAN HAD BEEN PUT INTO EFFECT, AND IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THESE GROUPS, LIKE PEOPLE'S JUSTICE PROJECT COMING OUT TO SUPPORT MUSLIM RIGHTS GROUPS LIKE CARE AND HOST THIS EVENT AT THE AIRPORT TO SHOW SUPPORT.

I THINK THAT IS ALSO A REALLY GOOD REPRESENTATION OF WHAT COLUMBUS IS.

THERE ARE ALL THESE GROUPS WORKING TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO 100% BELIEVE IN THE FULL SPECTRUM OF WHAT THEY'RE FIGHTING FOR.

YOU CAN TRUST THEY'RE A GOOD PERSON.

THEY'VE GOT TON KNOW EACH OTHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND HELP ELEVATE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER TO THEM.

I'M WORKING ON A BOOK OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT ADVOCACY GROUPS THAT I HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED.

THE BOOK I'M PUTTING TOGETHER IS GOING TO BE PHOTO ESSAYS OF DIFFERENT POLITICAL MOVEMENTS, INCLUDING RIGHT WING AND LEFT WING.

THERE'S NOT JUST ONE SIDE TO THE STORY, AND THOUGH THESE GROUPS AREN'T NECESSARILY OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER, THEY ARE AUDIENCES THAT DON'T ALWAYS OVERLAP.

AND SO I THINK IT COULD BE AN INTERESTING WAY TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO SHOW HOW IMPACTFUL IT COULD BE IF WE COULD FIND SOME COMMON GROUND.

HENRY GREEN'S MOTHER, ADRIENNE HOOD ACTUALLY CAME TO THE OPEN OF THIS GALLERY, AND SHE HAS BEEN A HUGE SUPPORTER OF EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN DOING, AND YOU KNOW, SHE'S ACTUALLY RUNNING FOR OFFICE RIGHT NOW, AND I GOT TO DO HEAD SHOTS FOR HER FOR IT.

I FEEL LIKE I'VE GAINED A COMMUNITY OUT OF THIS.

I DIDN'T GROW UP IN COLUMBUS IN THAT I NEVER FELT PART OF COLUMBUS, I WAS LIVING HERE, BUT I FEEL PART OF COLUMBUS NOW.