Megan E. Doherty

Beyond the headlines of the notoriously high gun and gang violence in Chicago, there is the debilitating loss of human capital in many communities of the South and West Sides. For over two and a half years now, I have been documenting the work done in one South Side neighborhood, Back of the Yards, by a small street ministry that tends to those involved in - and victimized by - gang violence and urban poverty. Jim Fogarty, known affectionately as "Brother Jim," wears a hand-sewn habit made out of scraps of denim, now tattered after over 30 years of use. That's how long he's been traversing the dangerous streets by foot, carrying only rosary beads to pass out - that, and offering prayers, and maybe a little hope. By now, the residents largely all known who he is, asking him to pray for them. Once upon a time, he stood between warring gangs shooting at each other, risking his life. Now, they ask him for rosaries. There are many photo projects that document urban poverty and violence in all corners of the world. I wanted to do more than show how this can be hell. I wanted to show how these people struggle through this hell trying to achieve redemption. In an effort to neither whitewash nor sensationalize, I've taken care to attend to all those moments that, while difficult or simply mundane and easy to ignore, are also sublimely beautiful. My journey to this project has been long and tangential. Truth be told, photography represents my second chance at life. I spent over seven years pursuing an MA and PhD in the philosophy of religions from the University of Chicago. Upon graduating, I began teaching myself digital photography. Already in a tremendous amount of debt from grad school, being self-taught has been my only option. I skipped the traditional classroom. Perhaps with an undue amount of optimism, I decided to dive right into the fire and I started working on my own long-term photographic documentary project - this one you know see.