Asuba Alley Barnes, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

Subject Statement: Ultimately, this EMT response is the hard work that needs to be done to support our communities. Personally and professionally, I am feeling good. I feel well supported. Where I work, the environment has been secure even with COVID-19. We are First Responders and it can be challenging. All calls represent a need in our communities. We respond.

This is my path. Assisting on the front lines with focused care for other people is complicated work. Overall being an EMT is a rewarding experience. I want to be a Firefighter and ultimately a Paramedic. Part of being a Firefighter involves a lot of emergency medical services, so being an EMT is the perfect place to start.

 

Artist Statement:  I approached this project with the belief that collaboration with the photo subject is imperative for creating more authentic images. I took this a step further and asked my community to help me define the word “essential workers” and asked them to nominate themselves or others to be photographed. Wanting my images to match the ethnic and cultural demographics of my neighborhood, I used the 2010 Census data to assist me in selecting participants.