A new online exhibit featuring portraits of Black Muslims was launched by Sapelo Square, a Black Muslim education and media collective, on Feb. 2. Captured in dramatic lighting and paired with audio clips of the subjects speaking, the portraits aim to highlight the beauty and diversity within the Black Muslim experience.
“It’s really important that we hear the voices and see those who come from this strong and important lineage that doesn’t seem to be acknowledged and is often misunderstood,” said Aïdah Aliyah Rasheed, special projects lead at Sapelo Square.
The project, titled “Preserving the Legacy: Portraits and Stories Capturing Black Muslim Life,” began as a conversation between Sapelo Square and New York-based photographer duo Rog & Bee Walker in 2016. Since then, Rog & Bee have photographed more than 200 portraits of Black Muslims with diverse occupations, ages, geographical locations and spiritual approaches to Islam. This first iteration of the project will feature roughly 50 portraits that are being released weekly on the Preserving the Legacy website.
Source: Black Muslim life honored in new online portrait exhibit