Diversity Statement
WE APOLOGIZE.
It should not have taken the murder of George Floyd and the widespread protests across the US in 2020 to motivate us address diversity, inequality and injustice. Miss Z Photography was created in 2011.
Here is a short list of Black people that were killed from police brutality between 2011 and May 2020.
Elliott Earl Williams, Ariston Waiters, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Wayne Jones, Eric Garner, Alton Sterling, Paterson Brown, Tanisha Anderson, Botham Jean, Sandra Bland, Atatiana Jefferson, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd.
We are sorry that it has taken us 9 years to hear the voices of the black community and to take action against racism in the United States. We were wrong and we commit to doing better.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We acknowledge that systemic racism is real.
We acknowledge that White Privilege is real.
We acknowledge that we have not been using that privilege to actively fight racism.
We acknowledge we also need to be more intentional in our support of LGBTQ+ people.
We acknowledge that statements like “All Lives Matter” deny the lived experience for people of color.
We acknowledge that Black Lives Matter.
We acknowledge that people of color have different life experiences and challenges than ours.
We acknowledge that fighting racism is a lifelong battle and not something to be done when it’s trendy or when it’s socially acceptable.
COMMITMENTS
We are committed to learning.
We are committed to hearing feedback of marginalized and oppressed people groups.
We are committed to educating ourselves.
We are committed to amplifying the voices of people of color.
We are committed to learning what it means to be an ally.
We are committed to doing our part to fight racism.
COMPANY POLICIES
1. We will seek to add more people of color to our staff as we grow. We will continue to build a diverse staff over time.
2. We are now donating monthly to the Equal Justice Initiative.
Abrah, aka “Miss Z”, aka “The Baby Whisperer”, is a multi award winning and internationally published maternity, newborn, baby, child and family photographer. She offers business heads shots and teaches DSLR camera classes, photography editing classes and private photography lessons, as well. She’s always up to photographing pets – whether with their human families or by themselves. Her clients come to her from all over New England including Boston, Providence, Cape Cod as well as all over the Southcoast – New Bedford, Dartmouth, Acushnet, Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Marion, Middleboro, Wareham, Westport, Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Berkley, Freetown, Taunton, Raynham and beyond. When she’s not capturing gorgeous images for her clients, she’s enjoying chasing after her two daughters and tabby cats, Sunny and Stormy. Abrah also enjoys listening to and dancing to 70’s and 80’s music and running (slowly) 5Ks.