COVID Conversations

In the spring of 2021, as Philadelphia’s allotment of COVID-19 vaccines from the federal government increased, the city made efforts to reach out to areas experiencing high case counts and mortality. At the time, Black adults expressed heightened concerns about COVID-19 and lower trust in the research and development process for vaccines. The City’s informational campaign to help Philadelphians learn more about the vaccine and address common questions and concerns targeted predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

On June 21st I returned to the Southwest Philly block where I’d lived for 5 years and spoke with current residents about their experiences of the pandemic. These conversations were not exercises in persuasion, but instead opportunities to listen and provide information and resources. The portraits above were taken that day.