How we photographed the parents whose child said he had to participate in a slavery reenactment at school

This week’s top photo comes from Visual Journalist Candace Dane Chambers.

What makes this photo important?

Juanyea Vinson Sr. and Alexis Williams’ son is the only Black student in his third grade class at Portage Park Elementary School. Last week, he informed his parents that he was instructed to participate in a slavery reenactment as part of a Black History Month lesson. He and other students were told to physically pull and bind their “enslaved” classmates with tape as they would be “shipped off in a cage.” The family has complained to the teacher and the principal who both deny the third grader’s account. Williams continues to stand by her son as she’s witnessed his mental distress in the days since and is now seeking meaningful accountability from the school. Chicago Public Schools officials said in a statement that they do not support simulations or reenactments of slavery.

How did you get the photo?

While technical aspects are vital to creating a compelling image, sometimes visual elements that reveal more about the story have to take precedent, especially when one of the sources is anonymous.

I met Williams and Vinson Sr. in their shared home on the North West Side. They did not want to have their son photographed, which was understandable given the sensitive nature of the story. Williams walked me through a relatively dark house to a backroom with concentrated window light. I took a few photos of Williams there and remarked how she chose the perfect location due to the lighting. Vinson Sr. was watching from the doorway and mentioned that there was an even brighter office on the second floor and offered to take me up. I made more portraits in the second location, which was well-lit but didn’t offer any visual context that related directly to the story. While Williams wanted to keep her son’s identity unknown, I wanted to try to involve him in the visual without compromising his anonymity — so I asked if they’d be willing to try a final composition in his room.

The room was tight and the light was challenging. The only way I could situate them was against a hot afternoon window. I had to push my ISO to an exposure that offered details in the shadows, which in turn blew out my highlights. But the scene was much more dynamic than the first two environments and offered some visual elements that nodded to their son, like the stickers and bright yellow poster on the wall and his football, which I asked Williams to hold. I prioritized storytelling interest over technical perfection and I feel the risk paid off. But the beauty of photography is that it’s subjective so who really knows. You be the judge.

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