I am an activist and visual artist based in New York City. My works center around Black culture, history, and environment.
I began filming in the Black Lives Matter Movement in June, 2020. As a documentary filmmaker I found it important to document this movement, a time where people of all nationalities and ages were fed up with police brutality in our nation.
Our perspective, our narrative, our lens matters. This movement pushed me NOT to ask, but to hold space. After attending numerous, marches, protests, vigils, sit-ins, die-ins, in places I couldn’t have imagined, organized & led by young citizens and many women, this gave me encouragement to make a photo exhibit happen. After hundreds of calls to action on the streets of New York City, the source of recap was summarized daily on minuscule phone screen via Instagram. What I felt was needed was to be immersed & surrounded by powerful impactful large images in a free outdoor public space told from the Black perspective whose lives were on the stakes.
Using Instagram, the central hub of communication throughout the movement, a post was put out requesting images from Black photographers. These photographers answered the request and put blind trust in a fellow activist’s vision to represent them. Capture the Movement came to life.
Within the backdrop of the photo exhibit, I showcased artists featuring women, children, and musicians of color whose employment was shuttered with the pandemic. The challenge was put upon me to bring intersectionality in my experience as a producer and deep rooted themes of my personal works.
My documentary, Changing Face of Harlem, a film on the revitalization of Harlem told from the perspective of residents and small business owners, filmed over 10 years, can be found on Kweli.tv. Changing Face of Harlem was chosen as an official selection for The San Diego Black Film Festival, The San Francisco Black Film Festival, Big Muddy Film Festival, Reel Sisters Film Festival, and numerous other festivals and conferences nationwide. The film has also screened at Maysles Cinema, Anthology Archives, and CUNY Gotham Center. Third World Newsreel is the distributor as well as two other of my films: Hair-Tage, a cultural documentary on dreadlocks, and Through My Eyes, an interpretation of September 11th from the perspective of Latino and African-American Youth.
Additionally, I am a member of IATSE Local 52 and have worked in the film/television industry as a props assistant for 25 years. Productions include 30Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Pose, Russian Doll, and Colin in Black & White.
My wish is to travel with this exhibit to show a movement in history captured from the lens of Black photographers.
My documentary, Changing Face of Harlem, a film on the revitalization of Harlem told from the perspective of residents and small business owners, filmed over 10 years, can be found on Kweli.tv. Changing Face of Harlem was chosen as an official selection for The San Diego Black Film Festival, The San Francisco Black Film Festival, Big Muddy Film Festival, Reel Sisters Film Festival, and numerous other festivals and conferences nationwide. The film has also screened at Maysles Cinema, Anthology Archives, and CUNY Gotham Center. Third World Newsreel is the distributor as well as two other of my films: Hair-Tage, a cultural documentary on dreadlocks, and Through My Eyes, an interpretation of September 11th from the perspective of Latino and African-American Youth.
Additionally, I am a member of IATSE Local 52 and have worked in the film/television industry as a props assistant for 25 years. Productions include 30Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Pose, Russian Doll, and Colin in Black & White.
My wish is to travel with this exhibit
to show a movement in history captured
from the lens of Black photographers.
Hear from Shawn
on how the photo exhibit was created
I am an activist and visual artist based in New York City. My works center around Black culture, history, and environment.
I began filming in the Black Lives Matter Movement in June, 2020. As a documentary filmmaker I found it important to document this movement, a time where people of all nationalities and ages were fed up with police brutality in our nation.
Our perspective, our narrative, our lens matters. This movement pushed me NOT to ask, but to hold space. After attending numerous marches, protests, vigils, sit-ins, die-ins, in places I couldn’t have imagined, organized & led by young citizens and many women, this gave me encouragement to make a photo exhibit happen. After hundreds of calls to action on the streets of New York City, the recap was summarized daily on a minuscule phone screen via Instagram. What I felt was needed was to be immersed & surrounded by powerful impactful large images in a free outdoor public space told from the Black perspective whose lives were at stake.
Using Instagram, the central hub of communication throughout the movement, a post was put out requesting images from Black photographers. These photographers answered the request and put blind trust in a fellow activist’s vision to represent them. Capture the Movement came to life.
Within the backdrop of the photo exhibit, I showcased artists featuring women, children, and musicians of color whose employment was shuttered with the pandemic. The challenge was put upon me to bring intersectionality in my experience as a producer and deep rooted themes of my personal works.
Shawn Batey
Capture the Movement curator:
A short documentary made by Shawn
marking 100 Days of Protests in NYC, 2020
I am an activist and visual artist based in New York City. My works center around Black culture, history, and environment.
I began filming in the Black Lives Matter Movement in June, 2020. As a documentary filmmaker I found it important to document this movement, a time where people of all nationalities and ages were fed up with police brutality in our nation.
Our perspective, our narrative, our lens matters. This movement pushed me NOT to ask, but to hold space. After attending numerous marches, protests, vigils, sit-ins, die-ins, in places I couldn’t have imagined, organized & led by young citizens and many women, this gave me encouragement to make a photo exhibit happen. After hundreds of calls to action on the streets of New York City, the recap was summarized daily on a minuscule phone screen via Instagram. What I felt was needed was to be immersed & surrounded by powerful impactful large images in a free outdoor public space told from the Black perspective whose lives were at stake.
Using Instagram, the central hub of communication throughout the movement, a post was put out requesting images from Black photographers. These photographers answered the request and put blind trust in a fellow activist’s vision to represent them. Capture the Movement came to life.
Within the backdrop of the photo exhibit, I showcased artists featuring women, children, and musicians of color whose employment was shuttered with the pandemic. The challenge was put upon me to bring intersectionality in my experience as a producer and deep rooted themes of my personal works.
My documentary, Changing Face of Harlem, a film on the revitalization of Harlem told from the perspective of residents and small business owners, filmed over 10 years, can be found on Kweli.tv. Changing Face of Harlem was chosen as an official selection for The San Diego Black Film Festival, The San Francisco Black Film Festival, Big Muddy Film Festival, Reel Sisters Film Festival, and numerous other festivals and conferences nationwide. The film has also screened at Maysles Cinema, Anthology Archives, and CUNY Gotham Center. Third World Newsreel is the distributor as well as two other of my films: Hair-Tage, a cultural documentary on dreadlocks, and Through My Eyes, an interpretation of September 11th from the perspective of Latino and African-American Youth.
Additionally, I am a member of IATSE Local 52 and have worked in the film/television industry as a props assistant for 25 years. Productions include 30Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Pose, Russian Doll, and Colin in Black & White.
My documentary, Changing Face of Harlem, a film on the revitalization of Harlem told from the perspective of residents and small business owners, filmed over 10 years, can be found on Kweli.tv. Changing Face of Harlem was chosen as an official selection for The San Diego Black Film Festival, The San Francisco Black Film Festival, Big Muddy Film Festival, Reel Sisters Film Festival, and numerous other festivals and conferences nationwide. The film has also screened at Maysles Cinema, Anthology Archives, and CUNY Gotham Center. Third World Newsreel is the distributor as well as two other of my films: Hair-Tage, a cultural documentary on dreadlocks, and Through My Eyes, an interpretation of September 11th from the perspective of Latino and African-American Youth.
Additionally, I am a member of IATSE Local 52 and have worked in the film/television industry as a props assistant for 25 years. Productions include 30Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Pose, Russian Doll, and Colin in Black & White.
A short documentary made by Shawn
marking 100 Days of Protests in NYC, 2020
My wish is to travel with this exhibit to show a movement in history captured from the lens of Black photographers.
Within the backdrop of the photo exhibit, I showcased artists featuring women, children, and musicians of color whose employment was shuttered with the pandemic. The challenge was put upon me to bring intersectionality in my experience as a producer and deep rooted themes of my personal works.
Hear from Shawn
on how the photo exhibit was created
Using Instagram, the central hub of communication throughout the movement, a post was put out requesting images from Black photographers. These photographers answered the request and put blind trust in a fellow activist’s vision to represent them. Capture the Movement came to life.
I am an activist and visual artist based in New York City. My works center around Black culture, history, and environment.
I began filming in the Black Lives Matter Movement in June, 2020. As a documentary filmmaker I found it important to document this movement, a time where people of all nationalities and ages were fed up with police brutality in our nation.
Our perspective, our narrative, our lens matters. This movement pushed me NOT to ask, but to hold space. After attending numerous marches, protests, vigils, sit-ins, die-ins, in places I couldn’t have imagined, organized & led by young citizens and many women, this gave me encouragement to make a photo exhibit happen. After hundreds of calls to action on the streets of New York City, the recap was summarized daily on a minuscule phone screen via Instagram. What I felt was needed was to be immersed & surrounded by powerful impactful large images in a free outdoor public space told from the Black perspective whose lives were at stake.
Capture the Movement curator:
Shawn Batey
I am an activist and visual artist based in New York City. My works center around Black culture, history, and environment.
I began filming in the Black Lives Matter Movement in June, 2020. As a documentary filmmaker I found it important to document this movement, a time where people of all nationalities and ages were fed up with police brutality in our nation.
Our perspective, our narrative, our lens matters. This movement pushed me NOT to ask, but to hold space. After attending numerous, marches, protests, vigils, sit-ins, die-ins, in places I couldn’t have imagined, organized & led by young citizens and many women, this gave me encouragement to make a photo exhibit happen. After hundreds of calls to action on the streets of New York City, the source of recap was summarized daily on minuscule phone screen via Instagram. What I felt was needed was to be immersed & surrounded by powerful impactful large images in a free outdoor public space told from the Black perspective whose lives were on the stakes.
Using Instagram, the central hub of communication throughout the movement, a post was put out requesting images from Black photographers. These photographers answered the request and put blind trust in a fellow activist’s vision to represent them. Capture the Movement came to life.
Within the backdrop of the photo exhibit, I showcased artists featuring women, children, and musicians of color whose employment was shuttered with the pandemic. The challenge was put upon me to bring intersectionality in my experience as a producer and deep rooted themes of my personal works.
My documentary, Changing Face of Harlem, a film on the revitalization of Harlem told from the perspective of residents and small business owners, filmed over 10 years, can be found on Kweli.tv. Changing Face of Harlem was chosen as an official selection for The San Diego Black Film Festival, The San Francisco Black Film Festival, Big Muddy Film Festival, Reel Sisters Film Festival, and numerous other festivals and conferences nationwide. The film has also screened at Maysles Cinema, Anthology Archives, and CUNY Gotham Center. Third World Newsreel is the distributor as well as two other of my films: Hair-Tage, a cultural documentary on dreadlocks, and Through My Eyes, an interpretation of September 11th from the perspective of Latino and African-American Youth.
Additionally, I am a member of IATSE Local 52 and have worked in the film/television industry as a props assistant for 25 years. Productions include 30Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Pose, Russian Doll, and Colin in Black & White.
My wish is to travel with this exhibit to show a movement in history captured from the lens of Black photographers.
curator: Shawn Batey
I am an activist and visual artist based in New York City. My works center around Black culture, history, and environment.
I began filming in the Black Lives Matter Movement in June, 2020. As a documentary filmmaker I found it important to document this movement, a time where people of all nationalities and ages were fed up with police brutality in our nation.
Our perspective, our narrative, our lens matters. This movement pushed me NOT to ask, but to hold space. After attending numerous, marches, protests, vigils, sit-ins, die-ins, in places I couldn’t have imagined, organized & led by young citizens and many women, this gave me encouragement to make a photo exhibit happen. After hundreds of calls to action on the streets of New York City, the source of recap was summarized daily on minuscule phone screen via Instagram. What I felt was needed was to be immersed & surrounded by powerful impactful large images in a free outdoor public space told from the Black perspective whose lives were on the stakes.
Using Instagram, the central hub of communication throughout the movement, a post was put out requesting images from Black photographers. These photographers answered the request and put blind trust in a fellow activist’s vision to represent them. Capture the Movement came to life.
Within the backdrop of the photo exhibit, I showcased artists featuring women, children, and musicians of color whose employment was shuttered with the pandemic. The challenge was put upon me to bring intersectionality in my experience as a producer and deep rooted themes of my personal works.
My documentary, Changing Face of Harlem, a film on the revitalization of Harlem told from the perspective of residents and small business owners, filmed over 10 years, can be found on Kweli.tv. Changing Face of Harlem was chosen as an official selection for The San Diego Black Film Festival, The San Francisco Black Film Festival, Big Muddy Film Festival, Reel Sisters Film Festival, and numerous other festivals and conferences nationwide. The film has also screened at Maysles Cinema, Anthology Archives, and CUNY Gotham Center. Third World Newsreel is the distributor as well as two other of my films: Hair-Tage, a cultural documentary on dreadlocks, and Through My Eyes, an interpretation of September 11th from the perspective of Latino and African-American Youth.
Additionally, I am a member of IATSE Local 52 and have worked in the film/television industry as a props assistant for 25 years. Productions include 30Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Pose, Russian Doll, and Colin in Black & White.
My wish is to travel with this exhibit to show a movement in history captured from the lens of Black photographers.