Intermediate Journalism: The Metro Section

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

More than just a Picture: Photography for Social Change

(www.jtlissphotography.com)

Although using art as activism is not a new concept, using photography for social change is something that New York photographer, J.T. Liss, feels is important.

“I wanted to find a way to combine my love for working with at-risk youth and helping others in general with photography,” he wrote in an email. “Once I sold my first piece of art, I didn’t think twice about giving the proceeds to the school I was working at at the time.”

Liss’s mission statement is brief and to the point, he hopes to use photography as advocacy, in turn helping others and allowing his art to spread creativity. While Liss originally came to New York City as a teacher, he quickly realized immense disparities as he walked the city streets and wanted to do more.

“It ended up being the best decision I ever made,” Liss said about moving to New York. “NYC is a living, breathing organism. The people, their interactions, transit, buildings, and how it can all change over the span of one city block,” he said. “It was certainly a stage and I wanted to be a player.”

(www.jtlissphotography.com)

While he was never formally trained in photography, Liss said that this has been to his benefit. He has had more room to explore and take chances with his art and has not had to worry about technical skill. Selling his photography was not enough though, “I wanted to use photography as a way to raise awareness and help others.”

Liss currently teams up with six non-profit organizations that find unique ways of giving back to others: B.E.A.T., Hear the Hungry, Off The Mat, Into The World, Hug It Forward, EcoThrive Art Coalition, and Fighting for Futures.

Each organization has a distinctive story. “Hear the Hungry does more than just give food to the homeless, they develop relationships with the homeless and document their stories to give a voice to the voiceless,” Liss said. “B.E.A.T. uses break-dancing, beat-boxing, and beat-making to empower at risk youth.” All of the organizations began as grassroots initiatives and use creative means to create change.

In partnership, Liss gives 25 percent of his proceeds to these organizations. In addition to monetary donations, he also holds events for them, in turn raising more funds, and perhaps just as importantly, more awareness.

Liss said his work continues to grow and expand as he is always experimenting. More recently he has been exploring surreal photography by creating images based off of quotes from famous writers and poets.

(www.jtlissphotography.com)

Liss also noted that his journey into photography and activism has been particularly meaningful. “Because of photography I have come into contact with total strangers who have become friends,” Liss said, “Friends who are on a similar mission of making the world a better place.”

Visit www.jtlissphotography.com to learn more about Photography for Social Change

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Continuing to Raise Awareness of Corporate Welfare

By Stephany Chung

Michael Pellagatti holding his sign in Bryant Park.

In Bryant Park, a short man with a stubble and a patch of turquoise-dyed curly hair was walking around in a blue poncho holding a small sign on May Day. This 24-year-old man, Michael Pellagatti – who was at the birth of Occupy Wall Street on September 17, 2011 – supported this movement until today; he continually stood against corporate welfare.

“Personally it [May Day] stood for people from all different backgrounds and occupations coming together and essentially fighting against corporate tyranny,” stated Pellagatti, an Occupy Wall Street TechOp.

In 2007, he had written an anti-war poem just for himself. When he was cleaning out his backpack, it was exposed next to him and when people read it, they misinterpreted the hypothetical situation and context of the poem and were “offended.”

“I had a bad personal experience was I was younger,” stated Pellagatti. “I got apprehended by authorities because I wrote some poetry that scared some people and that’s what clicked to my mind, which made me want to become a political activist.”

Back in high school, he was a “hard-core Republican.” However, after meeting various people such as, the Jersey City Council and anti-war activists, his ideas started changing.

From then onward, Pellagatti believed corporate welfare to be a “huge” problem.

Recently, he went on a “two year reading binge.” He read books, such as The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and The Histories of Heradotus and these were some books that also affected his way of thought.

From his readings, he shared that according to a report of the Office of Government Accountability, the bankers launched their own private audit of the Federal Reserve.

“It turns out that the Federal Reserve secretly loans $16 trillion to these banks on Wall Street. $16 trillion,” Pellgatti emphasized.

The Federal Reserve directs the government to print more dollar bills, inflation occurs, and the American people have to pay more.

He believes that the national debt is directly correlated to the greed of these bankers.

“I started raising this [the problem of corporate welfare] up and hopefully this will catch on soon,” stated Pellagatti. “I don’t think people know how big of a problem it is. They just brush it off.”

speed, safety and comfort

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6pUMlPBMQA

The Lone Ranger of Zuccotti Park

By Harrison Golden

While over 7,000 Occupy Wall Street protesters marched across New York City on Tuesday, Anam Farooqui returned to where the movement began nearly eight months ago.

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Farooqui, 25, spends most of his nights working at a FedEx store in Queens. But instead of spending his afternoon getting some pre-shift shuteye, he skipped around Zuccotti Park, waving a sign that read “Occupy the World” and listening to Aretha Franklin on his iPod. For most of the afternoon, Farooqui was the only OWS demonstrator stationed inside the park. But he still demanded respect.

"We're gonna re-occupy the park,” he said. “It's always been about the park."

Farooqui lived at the former “Liberty Square” during the first five weeks of last fall’s occupation. He slept on a yoga mat and snuck into the nearby Burger King whenever he had to use the restroom. The experience, he recalled, built a community that he had never seen before.

"Yeah, of course I still keep in touch with the other occupiers,” he added. “We're like a family."

But when he texted his friends, asking if they would join him at the park, he got no responses. The majority of the New York’s demonstrators instead decided to spread the city’s role in the Occupy movement past its Zuccotti Park roots.

Activists called for a general strike -- no work, no school, no shopping, no banking – and worked to hold 99 pickets in front of 99 New York City-based corporate offices, such as those of Bank of America, News Corporation, and Chase. At parks like Bryant Park and Union Square, a majority of the day’s demonstrators held rallies protesting corporate greed. As the day passed, most of them marched down Broadway to Wall Street, passing by Zuccotti Park with little hesitation.

In between skips, Farooqui continued checking his phone for possible replies, muttering to himself in the process.

“It’s no big deal,” he said. “I’ve never been one to care about numbers.”

As sundown approached, Farooqui continued his demonstration, fearing that the history of the Occupy movement was in danger.

“If I stop now, then the entire movement is over,” he added. “Who cares if I’m late to work? I gotta keep moving.”

Cheryl Smith, a single mother of two who participated in September’s demonstrations, got off work early and decided to visit the former protest hub. She sat on a bench for five minutes, watching Farooqui – and no one else – hopping around the park’s east end. She furrowed her brow.

“Is he on drugs?” Smith asked, looking at her watch. "Oh well. I'm thinking maybe I should go home and cook."