Finalist: Absence and Presence | POY 80 Community Awareness Award

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This Premier category recognizes a photographer’s extended story or essay about the everyday life of the people who make up a community. The purpose is to encourage attention to the small events in life that are often overshadowed by the news of the day and to celebrate those images that reflect the work and dreams of humankind.

A “community” may be defined as a neighborhood, a town, a small commune, a rural agricultural area, a city subdivision, or socioeconomic region.

Caption

Slide 6 of 36

October 1, 2021

Friends and family members celebrate the memory of Sharif Clark during his funeral at the Angel Hills Funeral Home on Oct. 1, 2021. Typical of many funerals for young people killed in homicides, the friends and family of Clark celebrate after the ceremony as a way of honoring their loved ones.

Vincent Alban / Independent

Location

Absence and Presence

Gun violence in Rochester has been forced into a way of life, but many people are fighting back to mitigate the tragedies. The fact that the issue will not be solved overnight is acknowledged, but through the community uplifting each other, long after a funeral or vigil, hope is coming back alive. Rochester is referred to as a “warzone” by its outsiders due to its increase in violence. Below a layer of stereotypes, there is a community vibrant and full of life, rebounding from tragedy.