As I stood in front of Corbett building, the crossroads of Notre Dame, literally adjacent the entrance of the Covid-19 testing centre, my location literally echoed my dilemma. I held my umbrella in one hand, the camera strap on my shoulder holding the dangling camera in my other hand, I was at a crossroad. I was trying to decide on a photography project for my visual anthropology class. I had to decide between following through with my planned shoot and NotreDame street Photography. No matter the choice, I was confident that I wanted to centre Black presence at the prestigious University of Notre Dame. The actual decision to be made was either to follow my initial plan, drafted weeks ago, or to pursue the thoughts that came to mind earlier in the morning of the day as I prepared my hair to go to campus – my hair and my struggles, and how it inspired me to shoot the dynamism of black hair.
My initial photoshoot plan
So, here I was at the crossroad, trying to photograph black students as they walked through the corridor between Corbett and the “stadium”. I was lucky! Here comes not one, but three black people. It is my lucky day, three for one.
I slowly approached them. I felt their positive energy, and to be honest, it would not be exaggerating to say, I felt a connection, drawn towards them. I masked this emotion, focusing on the task at hand – photography for my visual anthropology class project. I explained my goal to them, two girls and one boy. They gladly accepted.
One of them asked, (I think it was the jolly lady in braids), “Would you like to photograph us individually, or together?” “Both”, I responded smiling.
I took turns photographing them, starting with the lady in braids. As I progressed to photograph the male member of the trio, another person of interest strutted past. The ladies quickly walked up to the other person, asking if she was interested in being photographed by me. She answered in the negative, apologizing to me that she was in a rush and had to get to class.
As I continued to photograph, another student approached. Again, the ladies happily approached the guy in white, asking if he was willing to join the “shoot”. He agreed, now there’s four! I gladly pointed my camera and clicked away. They loved the photos when I showed them, and asked for copies. We exchanged emails, and walked away.
I stood at the crossroad for a bit more, hoping to find more black students! This time, I felt way more positive than I had when I first started. The positivity I had received from my last photographed people, definitely boosted my spirits. I walked away from the crossroads slowly towards the front of the library. The next person I saw appeared to be in a rush, she confirmed this with a smile as she zoomed past me. Then I saw two more people who agreed to allow me to photograph them. One happily volunteered to help me recruit more students, if I really needed help. The other suggested that Howard was a great venue for recruitment for my project.
I walked towards the library, but changed my mind, and walked towards Duncan Student Centre instead. I met another student who was again willing to assist with my project. He gladly posed, and made introductions at the end of the shoot. I walked around, and saw two beautiful afro buns from the distance. “This must be a black student” I said to myself as I walked towards her. Yes, it was! She appeared busy, but still indulged me. I photographed her, and she again mentioned that she would be happy to assist with recruitment if I ever ran into a brick wall. I definitely was pleased with the outcome of my decision to freestyle. I connected with so many people on campus. This was a defining moment for me, one that continues to guide my sense of belonging on Notre Dame's campus. I felt gooood!
One recurring vibe I got was that all my participants were happy and eager to help me succeed! They shared their networks and ideas with me. Why? I am unsure, but I am super grateful for the VIBE!
So for my project, I celebrate all the black persons in Notre Dame. Even more, I appreciate, and celebrate the individuals I met, whose beautiful personalities I captured. Thank you for the VIBE!
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