On the first and Second weekends of every month for the next year. I will be working on a Photo Essay called "Black Mississippi" the essay will be published as a book through "Book Surge" an (Amazon.com Company whom also owns Borders book store)
I will be traveling all through out Mississippi visiting historic civil rights locations, and documenting people that have been affected by Jim Crow laws and recording their stories. I will be visiting the prison in Jackson MS and documenting the place where the "Freedom Riders" where held and mistreated.
My wife and I have already visited the site of where Emit till was slain in 1955 for whistling at a white woman. which was the event that has marked the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Era movement in Mississippi.
While I was there at the historic seen of the crime (Tallahatchie River near Greenwood, Miss)whilst taking photos, someone drove by and threw a bottle at us. No one was hurt, but this goes to show you that, its been a little over 50 years and the wounds of bigotry and hatred are still open. This was clrearly a sign saying "Stop dredging up the past and your presence is not welcomed there.
As an African American and a journalist. This event has made me even more passionate to complete this documentary.
This is just a microcosm of things I will cover in Mississippi throughout the next year.
Unfortunately, racism is still alive and well in Mississippi.
As I am also a new photojournalist for Sheen Magazine (www.sheenmagazine.com), I will be discussing a proposals with my editor, in doing an exclusive on this piece in time for black history month 2009;whereas, It would also help promote the book.
If anyone would be like to assist me doing some documentation and coverage this summer for a couple of days please contact me as I could use the help.
Your photos and/or article will be credited in both the book and magazine it will also be a chance to discover more about this history. We will be going into areas that will not welcome us (Photographers and Journalist, any type of media) in (rural Mississippi),
in general people just protest in shouting out there disapproval or doing coward stuff like what I described above. I live not to far from the MS border in a suburb of New Orleans, which I am in Mississippi all the time so I know the area and the people.
I don't expect allot of this to be going on, but it does happen surprisingly on both sides (White and Black) as the past is hard to deal with
So drop me a line if anyone is interested in trekking and documenting through out Mississippi on an historic scavenger hunt.
Peace and Blessings,
Jamil Jones
Posts
1 comment:
Hey Jamil, it's Wendy Clark. We met today at the Ritz Camera in B.R. I was just looking over your website and saw where you were working on the documentary stuff in Miss and needed some help. If you still do, I am from Miss. and would love to work with you on it. I don't get to check email much so call me at either number I gave you and let me know.
Post a Comment