Nevertheless, We Persist: A Year of Resistance
The United States has erupted in protests, rallies and marches since the Trump administration took power on January 20, 2017. As the Resist movement continues to grow, an array of events take place across the country. Nowhere is this more visible than in Washington, DC. Fraught with fear, uncertainty and deep mistrust, this is a critical time in U.S. history. There is a sense that it is up to the people to create change; illustrated in the fact that in large numbers they continue to show up and take a stand against the policies of the current administration. This body of photographs is comprised from a number of different events and gatherings that have taken place since the inauguration.
The title of this project is a play on Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's attempt to silence Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren on the floor of the Senate as she strongly denounced Trump's choice of Jeff Sessions for U.S. Attorney General. McConnell stated after his rebuke, "She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted." The resistance in all its variations is a constant and present movement, the likes we have not seen against a sitting U.S. president. The people persist daily in showing their rejection of xenophobic, racist and anti-human rights policies of this current administration.
I was compelled to photograph the Resist movement while attending the Women’s March on January 21, the day after the presidential inauguration. As I made my way through the densely packed crowds, it was clear that something significant was taking shape. The following day it was reported that over 500,000 people descended on Washington, DC in support of the values of the march. I decided then that I would photograph this movement as much as I could. It continues to be powerful and moving to be a witness to those who consciously make the decision to resist. In light of the attacks on the fundamental rights of the people, I realized it was important to give voice to those I was photographing by asking them three questions: their name, where they were from and why they were taking part at a given event. My desire is that these images not only act as historical documents of this time in U.S. history, but that these portraits illustrate the diversity of the American people and their conviction in the necessity to resist this regime.
