A Community of Peace

Collier Heights is a neighborhood of single family homes in Atlanta, Georgia that was developed, financed, designed and constructed in the 1950’s and 1960’s predominantly by and for black Americans. Back then; the goal was to create a haven for the increasing black population that could afford to purchase their own homes. The current goal is to gain recognition for the neighborhood’s architectural and historic value that is integral in maintaining the pride in the neighborhood that has existed for so long. In 2009 the neighborhood of over 1,700 homes obtained National Historic Register designation in a step towards that goal.

In early 2009, a friend of mine introduced me to the neighborhood and while attending a Community Association meeting I volunteered to document their homes which is a necessary step for them to obtain the Local Historic District Designation. I asked, in exchange, if I could also make portraits of people who lived there.

As an outsider, I was not surprised to be met with suspicion during my first few attempts to make appointments for portraits. However, as I revisit the neighborhood every few months with my “old fashioned” (4x5) camera, people hear about the project and want to become a part of it. As the months pass, I learn more about the community – how involved they were with the civil rights movement of the 1960’s; how close knit they are and how hard they have worked to create and keep their community safe, peaceful, and beautiful.

As I prepare to make each portrait, I learn the stories of individuals and their families. I meet original residents from the 50’s and 60’s, second and third generations that have moved back into the neighborhood along with newcomers, both black and white. Collectively as a series of portraits, I mean to tell a story of the Collier Heights community - their interconnected lives, from the beginning when they had few other choices of where to live to the present as their neighborhood is recognized for its architecture and the tight knit bonds among its residents.

My latest forays into the neighborhood have included audio recording to enhance the depth and breadth of their stories.