10 photo stories that will challenge your view of the world

This week we felt like we were gradually recovering from the chaos at the beginning of the year. If, like me, you literally shed tears of joy when you see the sun shine while walking around the block this week, this roundup of photo stories is for you.

Black History Month is drawing to a close, but that doesn’t mean we’re done telling black stories. In February we spoke to Michael Mery of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture about the legacy of black photographers in the 20th century and the importance of collections. Melissa Alexander, who sometimes goes from alter ego Phyllis Iller, shared her ongoing project, Around the way girls, including photos that reinterpret the best of 90s black femininity.

Juliette Cassidy photographed young girls in Afghanistan who felt empowered by skateboarding, and the Silver Eye Center for Photography published an initial list of photographers to see. A year after Europe’s first death related to COVID-19, the small Italian town where it happened is recovering and trained volunteers in Venezuela are responding to emergencies. The men who raise pigeons on the rooftops of New York are feeling the effects of changing times, and Italy’s museums open quietly without the crowds. Finally, let’s take a look at the dreamy, moody work of Vanessa Leroy and her new book. There’s a place I want to take you.

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