Visiting Harrison Arkansas - Al Jazeera America
People are constantly getting opportunities to go somewhere, do something or meet somebody that not many people have. I recently had one of those such opportunities. I was asked to do a little freelance photography for Al Jazeera America. But, this wasn't any regular assignment. I was to go with one of their writers to cover a story on hate groups in Harrison, Arkansas, home of the Klu Klux Klan.
Now, the article offers a very fact-based and objective view of the Harrison and it's inhabitants and I'll do the same here. When I told my friends where I was going before I left some of them were concerned. What are you doing going there? Is that safe? Honestly, I didn't know the answer. I had no idea what to expect from this little town people call a hateful place but I will say one thing. Going to Harrison taught me one thing for sure. There may be bad people everywhere but, there are good people everywhere too. I found proof of that in Harrison because while I did meet some hateful people but in a place that has been called one of the most hateful places in America I met some incredibly nice people.
With that being said, the experience as a whole was very enlightening. Shooting mostly video I don't spend a lot of time taking strictly photography so it was a great experience looking for specific instances instead of entire events. I ended up with five credited images in an article on Al Jazeera America and had a once in a lifetime experience.
Enjoy the article!
