Last week, I visited two youth camps in California. The first camp, Camp Coehlo in Yosemite, was for young children with epilepsy. The other camp was at Westminster Woods in Sonoma County; the second camp I photographed is an annual program of Leadership Excellence, an Oakland non-profit that uplifts African-American urban youth. Both camps taught me something about humanity, and how I relate to others.
As I wrote about earlier, I have had epilepsy for nearly 25 years, and I didn't know people with epilepsy until recently. I hid my background, and as a result, became an outsider - not in a Unibomber way, but if I were a fish, I would be a salmon swimming upstream...pretending to be a bird. For example, I was the first male Women's Studies major at UCSB. I was the only white person in Black Pre-Law. I worked in female dominated fields. When I worked for a future Democratic Congressmen, I was the only staff person who wasn't a Democrat... and the list goes on. I don't know how to be a fish.
So I show up at Westminster Woods and I check in at the office. Besides being the last day of Leadership Excellence's Camp AkiliI, it was also the first day of camp for an all-white group. I tell the desk person that I am the photographer, and he tells me you must be for "camp so-and-so." Fortunately, Leadership Excellence staff person was in the office and takes me to the right place. I can't imagine being in a large group of all white people. I would feel like a fish out of water.
The Camp Akili staff welcomed me, and later, one of the leaders discussed how humans were all One. Once humans realize this, our planet will be much better. We will stop killing; we will begin healing. I want to believe this, but I don't. I am too much of an outsider. Maybe it is because I have had an inner struggle with my own body. I cannot trust it. Or maybe there is so much other evidence I see of people being cruel to each other.
But there is also evidence that we are one.
In the photos below, I see three generations of African-American men supporting each other, and it becomes easier to imagine how future generations will grow closer. And by watching young people express emotions, appreciation and understanding gives me hope that our future will be alright. I was inspired by teenagers, and their strength will continue to encourage me.
Finally, I also am appreciating being an outsider, because I know there are benefits of taking people outside of their normal environment. In the slideshow below, there are photos of a young boy on a man's shoulders followed by tall trees. This tells the story about connections and support. We stand on others shoulders, and we are connected to something greater than ourselves, whether it is the environment, community, God, Iran, Irag, or the salmon swimming upstream.
Leadership Excellence Blog - Images by bryan farley