A little over two and a half years ago, I discovered my passion for photography.  I was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey where I still reside.  As an African American woman living in Newark, there is much wrong with my city, as evidenced by our high crime and poverty statistics.  Although I see the ugly every single day I leave my house, I choose to see the beauty here as well.  I therefore photograph what I see and try to restore it's beauty with each photograph.  I find that I am especially drawn to windows and doors.  Perhaps it is because they offer a way to enter into new great possibilities, or allow one to see into a bright new future.

I was raised by my grandmother who would often take me to the Hahne's department store in downtown Newark as a child where I would marvel at the fine furnishings, shiny floors and lovely clothing.  Even now, many years later, although the building is abandoned, filthy, decaying and crumbling, I am still drawn to it as it is still beautiful.  It has a past and personality and reminds me of the wonderful times spent with my grandmother who cared for me when no one else would.

Why am I drawn to crumbling brick walls, abandoned houses, decaying doors and buildings? Who the heck knows! Perhaps it is because in spite of all their faults, they are all still beautiful...in my eyes.  They are all still standing and have faced the ravages of time and circumstance and still have a voice that speaks to me.  They inspire me to keep moving forward despite the adversities I have faced or the circumstances in which I may find myself.  They inspire me not to accept stereotypes that have chased me my entire life.  They inspire me to stand tall, although broken and weathered, and to still have hope and to dream of mighty dreams.

Although many of the neighborhoods I photograph have dangerously high instances of crime, I still, through my photographs, hope to show that Newark was once a very grand and beautiful city.  Many of the buildings I photograph I remember seeing in their splendor as a child. Newark, as well as the many other urban cities I photograph, have been ravaged by urban decay and yet are still strong and I do not want them or their proud African American residents forgotten.