Photo Series To Raise Awareness and Funds

JOLIET, IL - Back when we were under the strictest stay-at-home portion of coronavirus, United In Excellence had an idea - create a series of photos where black people can have their picture taken wearing a mask to show their humanity and to counter stereotypes.

“It started off as a Covid response by United in Excellence and it was basically to address the concern people had about people wearing masks, specifically black people wearing masks,” Erick Deshaun Dorris, cofounder of UIE said.

United in Excellence was founded by Joliet Township High School alumni Dorris and Cristi Washington-Gaither in November 2016. It is named after a Greek-style step team that ran as a community and after-school program at JTHS from 1996 to 2008. Both Dorris and Washinton-Gaither were members of UIE when in high school.

Today, UIE raises funds for scholarships for students in the STEAM fields. They partner with Joliet Township High School Foundation to select and award these scholarships. In addition to raising awareness, the photos taken will be used in a fundraising effort that will help UIE and the The Art Movement, Inc. The first photoshoot was on June 13 and the second is from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, July 11 at Prayer Tower Ministries Church of God in Christ, 500 Stryker Ave. in Joliet.

Originally, the first photoshoot was scheduled during the stay-at-home order, but people did not want to take photos because they had not been able to visit their beauty care professionals.

“It got rescheduled...I think people are more comfortable going out and getting photos.” Dorris said.

Postponing the first shoot date to June 13 also meant that the world changed. In the time it took to change the date, the world split its focus between Coronavirus and protests to bring awareness to police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. It was in this shift that the photography project shifted as well.

“One of the things that I found as I watched the protest was there’s a lot of white people out there who are supporting the movement,” Dorris said.”I think it’s important to include allies into it.”

When they shifted the focus to include allies, they also shifted the beneficiaries of the fundraiser.

“When (Dorris) told me what the concept was, I was like what a great message,” Eryn Blaser, The Art Movement, Inc., President said. “I liked it personally and shared it with my board.

“Part of the funds will come back to us where we can then create a special project or a community-based project that can kick off and work for everybody.”

Nineteen people took photos on June 12. Tycee Bell was one of those photographed.

"I wanted to definitely go out and support UIE," she said. "I understood the message and the call to action when they sent out the invitation."

She liked that it was national and local and was something that benefitted youth and wanted to participate.

"It's not just a movement inside of a movement...it really says put your mask on and you still have an identity behind the mask," she said.

As part of the photoshoot, people are asked to describe themselves with three words. Their photo will then include those identifiers.

"I chose I am a community cultivator, people motivator and black woman," she said of her descriptors. "The whole idea of coming on and signing a waiver and saying I stand with you to keep myself and our community safe...I love the idea of reading about the actual movement and having that form."

The organization has openings every hour on July 11.

"Anyone can walk in between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.," Dorris said. "We have openings each hour."

Those having photos taken will do so wearing a mask. Those photos will then later accompany text that describes how a person sees themselves. Dorris compares it to NOH8 campaign.

That style of photography is what photographer Chris Braggs will be using when shooting participants.

“What we do here in Joliet can also be done in California or in Baltimore where Cristy is,” Braggs said.

The photoshoot on Saturday is the second of many planned, including a photo shoot in Baltimore and one in Chicago that is focusing on actors. You can follow United in Excellence on Facebookto see more of the photos.