Aziza Murray, Forever Here, Ready or Not, Photo by Adolphe Pierre-Louis
Aziza Murray
Forever Here, Ready or Not is a photographic installation of portraits of people I see as representing the future of the United States. As people of color and LGBTQ+ people continue the fight for equality, there are still those who deny that our existence is historic and valid. The attempts to quell our visibility range from institutionalized racism and homophobia, to outright violence in the streets. This body of work is a call for representation. It is a recognition of a future in which all people of color and all people identifying as LGBTQ+ will be treated with dignity and respect. The photographs are of people I know and love: existing, contributing, loving, surviving. We have always been here, and we’re not going anywhere.