Dorchester photographer Mike Ritter met with the Codman Square Neighborhood Council (CSNC) this month to explain his latest photo project: ‘Who Are We’ – a presentation of more than 200 uniquely lit portraits that will be patched together to form an American flag.
“We are at 40 portraits now and we need 215 people to design that flag,” he said. “There are two ways to get that done. One is in an open session at my studio [in Dorchester], and the other thing I’m looking for is to go on site. I was at a Haitian church [this month], and I was really able to get people to talk about the experience and get these snippets about what they are feeling.”
Mike Ritter spoke at the CSNC meeting in February. Seth Daniel photo
The portraits can be made anonymous with the use of a special lighting technique, or they can be recognizable. Many of them are inlaid with text, which can be quotations or the participant’s own words. Ritter said he would like to focus efforts on immigrant communities and on government workers – though everyone can participate.
The idea is to challenge the notion of who is an American, thus the title ‘Who Are We?’ Ritter said that a time when masked federal agents and their actions represent our government, it raises that question. Using shadow and light “anyone sitting in front of my camera can be fully anonymous, partially seen, or entirely revealed. With color, these portraits will become the stars and stripes of an American flag. Through words, we can share our American experiences – past, present, and anticipated.”
He said he expects the finished product to be both beautiful and disturbing as it will reflect participants’ hopes and fears via shared humanity and civic life. “Like I said, we can go anonymous for anyone, but I was moved by one lady who put a smile on her face and said, ‘I’m not afraid of anybody; take my picture.’ It was very emotional, even for me.”
Ritter completed the ‘Beautiful Dot’ photo project in 2023 that involved portraits of Dorchester residents over an 18-month period at public libraries and the gathering of stories on how they came to live in the neighborhood.
More information on the “Who Are We” project is available online at www.mikeritterphoto.com/who-are-we.
•State Rep. Russell Holmes briefed the community on efforts by the Black and Latino Caucus to lead conversations on immigration and ICE detentions. He said that while many politicians have come out with guidance and policies this month about immigration enforcement actions, the caucus formed its positions last summer. It is the largest it’s ever been, with 26 members, including one Republican, Holmes said.
Most importantly, he noted, they learned that there are two ICE facilities in Massachusetts, with detainees often placed in a Plymouth County facility. Some 525 individuals can be held there, and it’s for men only. Women have to be transferred out of state.
A key point in talking to detainees, Holmes said, is that they don’t want advocates calling for the shutdown of facilities in Plymouth or the area. If detained, they would rather stay close to home, and in the Massachusetts federal court district.
“The people who are there say they are in Massachusetts and close to family and are treated as they would be in a Massachusetts facility and would rather be in this federal court jurisdiction than one down South,” he explained.
“We believe we should lead this conversation,” he continued. “It shouldn’t be the House Speaker or those on the left or the Republicans. It should be the Black and Latino Caucus…We are closest to where this fight is.”
•A key challenge identified by Holmes and the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (NDC) is the changing requirements for SNAP food assistance, which will kick in later this year. The key components are new eligibility requirements, and new work requirements at the state and federal level.
An effort to share experiences and learn about how to adhere to the new changes is a listening session set for March 6, at 6 p.m., in the Great Hall, 6 Norfolk St.
•Latoya Rivers announced that the OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center – based out of Forest Hills – will be performing “Our Story, African American Experience” via dance, spoken word, and music at the Strand Theatre this coming Saturday (Feb. 27) at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25, and the event is in honor of Black History Month.
