Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and historian Dr. Maurice Hobson share the stage during a panel discussion at the Facing History & Ourselves Summit in Atlanta, engaging educators in a robust conversation about leadership, equity, and the lessons history continues to teach today.
Last week, I had the privilege of photographing the Facing History & Ourselves Summit here in Atlanta. As someone whose work spans visual storytelling, brand-building, and consulting, the event reminded me of how deeply connected imagery, narrative, and justice are. It also brought home something I’ve known for decades: the difference between meeting someone and hearing their story.
Conference Snapshot
The Facing History & Ourselves organization brings educators together around key issues:
- Helping teachers and school leaders build classrooms and schools with equity and justice at the center.
- Enabling educators to identify and challenge antisemitism, both in their classrooms and across communities.
- Supporting Jewish-educational settings to deepen Jewish identity, while helping young people strengthen their civic voice.
- Integrating Facing History’s pedagogy and rich instructional materials in English Language Arts and Social Studies across school settings.
Their deeply human work aligns with their global commitment to professional learning and instructional resources, creating brave and inclusive learning environments.
As I moved through the halls of the summit, camera in hand, I felt that I wasn’t just photographing faces; I was witnessing a movement. A movement rooted in the lived experience of educators who are asking big questions about History, identity, justice, and what learning looks like when it truly serves all of us.
Keynote Highlights
Four voices stood out to me — each one deeply engaged in both story and action.
Shirley Franklin
Shirley Franklin served as the 58th Mayor of Atlanta from 2002 to 2010, and was the first African American woman mayor of a major Southern city.
During her tenure, she tackled ethics reform, infrastructure, and public-private partnerships, and guided the city through a pivotal period of change.
At the summit, she drew on decades of service to speak about leadership, community, and accountability — and I captured images that reflected her steady presence and commitment.
Maurice Hobson
Dr. Maurice Hobson is an Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Georgia State University and the author of The Legend of the Black Mecca: Politics and Class in the Making of Modern Atlanta.
His scholarship explores the complexities of Black life, class, politics, and culture in Atlanta. At the summit, he unpacked how educators must reckon with context, History, and identity — not just the “what” of teaching but the “why.” I found myself drawn to the images of him in mid-discussion, capturing that moment when a concept clicks for someone.
Heather McGhee
Heather McGhee is a policy advocate, author and former president of the think-tank Demos. Her bestselling book, The Sum of Us, explores how racism and economic inequality affect us all.
She talked about her interactions with Gary in a viral clip on C-SPAN:
During her session, she talked about her research. In her research, Heather McGhie discovered that at the height of America’s post-war public investment era, there were more than 2,000 grand, resort-style public swimming pools across the country. When Black citizens began asserting their right to swim in those taxpayer-funded facilities, many municipal governments responded not by integrating, but by draining the pools, backing trucks of dirt up to the holes, and filling them in with gravel or concrete—a deliberate choice to deny access by all rather than share them under desegregation.
Terrence Roberts
Terrence Roberts is one of the historic Little Rock Nine — the group of African-American students who, in 1957, braved intimidation and violence to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
His presence at the summit grounded our work in a legacy of struggle and resilience. The image I captured of him speaking struck me: the story still lives in the room when History walks in.
My Reflection as Storyteller
As a photographer/videographer and brand-story consultant, I’ve been on countless shoots. I’ve met community leaders in their homes, visited people in need, and leaned in with a camera and lens to see what they are doing. My earlier life, thanks to my father being a pastor, gave me access to spaces — some church-based, some home-based — where stories were raw and honest.
But capturing a summit like this, with educators, thinkers, activists, I was reminded: It’s one thing to meet someone, and quite another to hear their story.
Over the last couple of days, I stood in rooms where educators were sharing hard truths: “I saw this in my classroom,” “I felt this in my community,” “What do we do when this is a system, not just one incident?” And I photographed — not just the big moment on stage but the pause between, the whispered comment by a teacher in the hall, the handshake, the emotion in the eyes. That is where the story lives.
For me, my craft isn’t only about making beautiful images. It’s about crafting visual entry-points into deep and meaningful conversations. Whether I’m helping a non-profit define its brand story, teaching videographers how to tell stories with intention, or working solo in a room full of thought-leaders, I come back to this: People want to belong, they want to matter, they want to be seen and heard. And my job is to help reflect that.
Why It Matters
These aren’t abstract ideas. The work at Facing History is urgent. Classrooms are battlegrounds of identity, History, and narrative. When teachers equip themselves with critical tools — whether to address antisemitism, deepen civic voice, or make literature and social studies more inclusive — they create spaces where stories aren’t silenced.
For me, as someone who builds brand stories and helps organizations tell their ‘why’, this summit affirmed something: Story is not an afterthought in communication. It’s the foundation. And when the story is rooted in equity, listening, and community, it moves more than just minds — it invites hearts and brings about change.
What’s Next
I’ll be editing through hundreds of frames from the summit in the coming days — including keynote shots, workshop moments, and candid educator interactions. More than that: I’ll be thinking about how this work might shape what I teach in my next workshop (whether lighting, video, or brand-story). Because a room full of educators asking “How do I help every student feel seen?” is a room full of possibility.
If you are an educator, a storyteller, or a brand builder, I invite you to ask: What story am I telling? Whose voice is silent? And how might I listen first, then frame, then share?
Thanks to the Facing History team for the invitation and trust. It’s always an honor to bring my lens, my heart, and my decades of experience to a gathering like this.