Elroy Johnson

Documentary Photographer
   
The Oak Cliff Documentary
Projects (1)
Public Project
The Oak Cliff Documentary
Copyright Elroy Johnson 2024
Date of Work Oct 2018 - Ongoing
Updated Nov 2018
Location Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas
Topics dallas, oak cliff
Growing up I moved around a lot. As a native of Texas, I've lived in different cities within Texas, Oklahoma, and Minnesota. However, the one place that always felt like home was Oak Cliff, a neighborhood located in Southwestern Dallas. The neighborhood was where most summers, many weekends, and a lot of holidays were spent. I spent a lot of time in South Oak Cliff at both my mawmaw's (maternal grandmother)  and paternal grandmother's houses. In addition to spending a lot of time with a host of aunts and cousins.

Currently, I live in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is quickly changing due to gentrification something many urban neighborhoods are facing around the country. I've decided to take my camera around the historic Dallas neighborhood. I wanted to document the stories, culture, and history of the neighborhood where my family sought refuge from the cotton fields of rural Texas & Louisiana. I have focused on documenting events and people who are an integral part of the community. In this mist of change, it is important to document the communities that have made this area home for generations.

I often find myself documenting stories of family members, community organizers, and activists, to small business owners, and historic churches. My goal is to help preserve the history of this neighborhood where more than 275,000 people call home through still photography, and audio, and short video interviews. Hopefully, this work will shed a light on the unique culture and history of Oak Cliff that has become a backbone to the larger Dallas community.
  Oak Cliff Documentary
         Oak Cliff Documentary. 2,078 likes · 23 talking about this. Oak Cliff Documentary is a photo documentary series by photographer, Elroy Johnson. He is currently documenting life in Dallas' largest...
      
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