#020: A Message from Photo Forward

It’s only been a few short weeks since our last episode, but it already feels like the entire world has been flipped on its head. We all saw and were outraged beyond words at the murder of Goerge Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Soon after, my city responded to a collective pain, sadness, and anger with protests that engulfed the Twin Cities in the days after Floyd’s death. The message was and is clear: Now is the time for change. Now is the time for justice. 

I’ve been slow to publicly respond because I wanted to ensure I shared this message as deliberately, clearly, and compassionately as possible. The photography and visual creator industries have long tip-toed around the issues of race, gender, and representation in our visual medium. But to continue on in this podcast and in our communities at large would be a tonedeaf mistake to our reality. Now is a moment and an energy we should not choose to ignore.

While it feels strange to say, this podcast and the small community of followers I have online is a platform. And with that comes a responsibility to share, promote and connect with a more diverse group of creators. And though the podcast is still in its infancy, I’ve failed at that. In no uncertain terms, I support the Black Lives Matter movement, inclusion, and justice. And I’m a firm believer that if you aren’t part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.

That is why I’m going to be taking a brief pause from the podcast to connect with a more diverse group of creators to hear their stories, unpack their perspectives, and share their wisdom for all of us – and in so doing, make this podcast and those we serve with it comprise a much larger range of voices.

As a person of great privilege in my own life, I’ll keep this short — it’s time for me to talk less and listen more ; More action and less words. So again, I want to thank all of you listeners and subscribers for your patience as I sought to find the words and the actions to be a small part of the solution to dismantling institutionalized racism in our communities. I should have done better months or years ago, but I didn’t. And I apologize for that. My goal for the Photo Forward podcast going forward is to ensure our community of photographers, cinematographers, and multimedia creators is one of inclusion, one of diverse voices, and one that lifts up all members our beautiful visual medium. 

I look forward to meeting that challenge in the months and years to come on Photo Forward. As always keep seeing, keep clicking, and keep putting your best Photo Forward. Cheers everyone.