To: Jenna Mahale, i-D Contributor, <[email protected]>
From: Naydeline Mejia, <[email protected]>
Hey Jenna,
I hope this email finds you well.
It’s been a bit since we’ve been in touch. I hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy during these difficult times.
I apologize for never getting back to you with a workshopped pitch on that story idea I had about digital costume designers––life got a bit hectic. Nevertheless, I am reaching out today because I have an exciting feature story in mind that I think you and the i-D team might be interested in instead!
I want to spotlight a talented New York City based photographer by the name of Alberto who is documenting the “real” New York through sharp, poignant portrait photography.
During the large wave of Black Lives Matter protests that took place across the U.S. this past June, as a response to the murder of George Floyd, Alberto captured several images of a protest in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan that quickly garnered viral attention. The images, which show a moment of solidarity between Haitian- and Dominican-Americans, even caught the attention of some prominent celebrities such as Cardi B who reposted some of the images on her own social media channels. The Haitian and Dominican flags, neighboring countries that have long had a hostile relationship due to the existing anti-Blackness in the Dominican Republic, are pictured together as a symbol of two conflicting countries coming together to fight against an issue that affects all Black people no matter their ethnicity: police brutality.
I believe this would be a great fit for i-D because the publication has spotlighted up-and-coming photographers in the past as a large part of the i-D mission is shining a light on underground artists in the U.K. and abroad. I have done similar features in the past––this one specifically reminds me of the i-D voice and style––and I would love to be able to converse and work with more creatives to develop similar stories.
I am envisioning around 800 words for this feature in which I will ask Alberto about his creative process, why he has chosen portraiture as his creative medium, what has been the impact of the viral photo to his career and, subsequently, what have been his experiences with anti-Blackness in the Dominican community.
Thank you so much for taking the time to consider my pitch, and I look forward to hearing from you!
Best regards,
Naydeline