Restorative justice and the arts

Don’t miss our webinar next week! How can artistic practices and approaches be applied in restorative justice? In what ways might restorative approaches and principles inform artistic practices? In this webinar, the City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Restorative Justice Program will provide a case study in the intersection of socially-engaged art and restorative justice. The....

Metaphors matter – in photography and in justice

Our metaphors matter – in photography and in justice As a photographer, I’ve often reflected on how frequently photographs serve to divide rather than create connections between people.  It is so tempting to emphasize the “otherness” of subjects rather than what we have in common.  As a result, photographs often leave subjects feeling degraded and....

Death of a mentor

Milton Rogovin died this month at the age of 101.  Although I only met him once, through his photographs and writing he has been one of my mentors. 1998 photo by Howard Zehr As NPR noted in his obituary, Rogovin’s life was about seeing, though the methods changed.  He began his professional life helping others....

Justice for children whose parents are in prison

Three million children in the United States are estimated to have one or both parents in prison.   Here is some information about these children: 1 in 15 African American children has a parent in prison.  For white children the figure is 1 in 110. About half of parents in prison have never had a personal....

Decolonizing research and photography

“From the vantage point of the colonized, a position from which I write, and choose to privilege, the term “research” is inextricably linked to European imperialism and colonialism.  The word itself, ‘research,’ is probably one of the dirtiest words in the indigenous world’s vocabulary.  When mentioned in many indigenous contexts, it stirs up silence, it....

Email subscription to blog

We have been using FeedMyInbox to alert readers to new posts, but it has not proven very reliable.  We are now switching to Google’s Feedburner. To receive email alerts, click on “E-mail” under “Subscribe” on the right. If you have been getting the alerts from FeedMyInbox, you can can remove that service by unsubscribing when....

Photography at the healing edge

In previous posts I have discussed ways photography often contributes to “othering” and, conversely, the power it has to bring people together.  A new organization, the International Guild of Visual Peacemakers, began as a group of photographers and designers “devoted to peacemaking & breaking down stereotypes by displaying the beauty of cultures around the world.” ....

Portraits as vehicles for reflection and change?

“Gazing into one’s own eyes is an interesting experience. I’d think there could be great therapeutic value in having some conversations with oneself, someone who appears to be a sympathetic listener (provided by a sympathetic photographer). “ This was Phil Easley’s response after I posted his portrait montage on my photography website. I enjoy portraiture....