A year ago, a young man called the Legacy offices and told us, in his own forthright and assertive way, that he was going to Uganda to take pictures and he needed our help. Turns out, that young man wasn’t just anybody, it was Alexander Fortson, an activist, photojournalist and student, and the pictures he took weren’t just snapshots. They create a narrative– Sons Like the Dust– that tells, in no uncertain terms, the realities of life for the most vulnerable people in Northern Uganda.
Alex and his partner Kristen Houser are good friends of Legacy World Missions; they both contributed to our Legacy of Art show in June and we screened part of Sons Like the Dust at the event. Alex’s series of portraits taken in a Sudanese leper colony (above) were the hit of the fundraiser. Recently, we’ve heard some great news: Sons Like the Dust won the Silver Medal in the Multimedia Project Category at the 64th College Photographer of the Year Competition. Kristen and Alex, we are so, so proud of you both!
Generally, I personally dislike the term “raising awareness.” It seems ambiguous and open-ended. Awareness itself shouldn’t be the goal, should it? What Alexander and Kristen have done with Sons Like the Dust is far beyond raising awareness, though. They’ve forced us to redefine both childhood and survival. They’ve stirred our empathy and compassion, they’ve brought human dignity to their subjects and they’ve thrown down a challenge: do we tolerate a world that tolerates this sort of wholesale cruelty, or do we do something about it?
The documentary is split into three segments, each about 10 minutes long. Make the time to watch it, and when you do, think about what Eugene Debs, nominee for the 1924 Nobel Peace Prize said: “While there is a lower class I am in it, while there is a criminal element I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” Sons Like the Dust reminds me of who we’re committed to helping and why: Because we’re not okay with living in a world that’s okay with this.
Again, everyone on the Legacy staff congratulates Kristen and Alex. We also thank them for having the courage to not just look at people the world has largely dismissed, but to take pictures.
-Angela
Tags: photography, Uganda
