D'Amato, P: Paul D'Amato

The west side of Chicago is not the poorest, the oldest, the largest, or the most African American of African American communities in the United States--it is similar to every other swath of poverty in every single city. We are led to believe that these communities are in crisis when something occurs that lands them on the front page. The real crisis, however, is ongoing and it's one of acceptance of the conditions of poverty, day in and day out. Paul D'Amato's photographs won't change these neighborhoods, but they remind us that the individuals that live in them are as important as any one of us.