The Shriver Report – Photojournalism Project
By Barbara Kinney | March 26, 2014
Nikki Brown and her daughter Kristian, 4-years-old, share a moment under an umbrella outside church in Chattanooga, TN.
Back in 2011, I was hired by the Shriver Report to document families dealing with a loved one who suffered from Alzheimer’s. It was a fulfilling and special assignment for me to shoot. This past year, Maria Shriver and editor-in-chief Karen Skelton asked me to work on their most recent endeavor, “The Shriver Report – A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back From the Brink.” The photography part of this report was to play a bigger role – Maria wanted the images to be as dynamic and iconic as Dorthea Lange’s images from the Great Depression……..no pressure there! We discussed many ways to bring the report to life with photos. I had the idea to contract women photojournalists to document the women subjects around the country. Knowing I had a lot riding on my shoulders to make this project a success, I called on some of the top women photographers that I know – Barbara Ries, Jan Sonnenmair, Ami Vitale, Melissa Farlow, Callie Shell and Melissa Lyttle.
Nikki Brown, with her children Kingston and Kristian , eat dinner on Wednesday evenings at the church where her father is pastor, in Chattanooga, TN.
Jessica McGowan with sons Keylan, age 2, and Jacob, age 5, in front of the house she currently shares with her mother and other family members.
Jessica McGowan at the Virginia College School of Business & Health in Chattanooga, TN, where she is studying to be a pharmaceutical technician .
With the help of Shriver Report super star Alli Maloney, who managed the project by teaming each photographer up with a subject identified by local agencies/non-profits around the country, each of us set out to photograph women struggling to make it all work. Women who are raising families, working jobs, going to school, managing finances, doing everything to survive and make it all work in this economy. We photographed subjects in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Arizona, Illinois, Florida, California, Washington and Montana.
I knew each of these photographers could take this assignment and come back with strong, emotionally powerful, wonderful photojournalistic images. Nobody let me down! Here is a video introducing the report, with a slide show of some of the wonderful images.
Britani Hood working in the cafeteria of the Elementary School in Chattanooga, TN.
Britani Hood at home with 2-year-old twin daughters Parker and Presley Mongar.
The Shriver Report launched in January 2014 with a big event at the Newseum in Washington DC, hosted by the Atlantic. It was streamed live all day with incredible speakers including Nancy Pelosi, Maria Shriver, Deepak Chopra, Neera Tanden and uh…..me. The event included a photo exhibit with 44 framed images from the seven women photographers on the project. You can see the entire day’s event here.
Katrina Gilbert, with daughters Brooklynn, 7, and Lydia, 5, arrive at the Chambliss Center for Children in Chattanooga, TN to pick up son Trent, 3.
There have been so many events and press surrounding the Shriver Report, too many to mention on the blog. A couple of highlights include a program and photo exhibit at the California Museum in Sacramento, CA, and the HBO documentary “Paycheck to Paycheck, The Life and Times of Katrina Gilbert.” produced by Maria Shriver and Sheila Nevins. Read more about the documentary here.
Chrystal Thompson standing outside the homeless shelter where she and son Mecca Owens were recently living in Chicago, IL. At the time of this photograph, they were temporarily living in a friend’s apartment in a senior housing development.
Chrystal Thompson and son Mecca Owens in Chicago, IL in front of his high school.
After Maria Shriver presented President Barack Obama with a copy of the Shriver Report, he was so impressed that he asked one of our photo subjects, Sabrina Jenkins (photography by Callie Shell) to sit in the President’s box with the First Lady during his State of the Union speech on January 28, 2014. A few weeks later, both Katrina Gilbert and Julie Kaas (two of my subjects) joined President Obama at the White House and stood behind him as he signed an executive order raising the minimum wage for federal contractors. Lots of exciting and wonderful moments have resulted from “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back From the Brink.”
Graduation day for Julie Kaas and her classmates at the Washington Women’s Employment and Education center in Tacoma, WA.
Julie Kaas at home in Graham, WA.
Julie Kaas at home in Graham, WA. With her sons Danny, Joey and Jesse.
I was fortunate to photograph subjects in several cities including Chicago, IL, Chattanooga, TN and Tacoma, WA. The photos published on this blog were all taken by me. To see more work by the other six women photographers, click the online galleries on the Shriver Report website.
Thank you Maria Shriver for making this project happen, bringing attention to the many women on the brink in this country and for being such a powerful and strong voice – I admire you so much. Special thanks to all of the photographers Callie, Barb, Ami, Melissa, Melissa and Jan – it was such a pleasure to work with you and edit your amazing images, and to three people who were incredibly helpful and supportive to me during the project – Karen Skelton, Sascha Weiss and Allison Maloney.
Caitlin Bell, along with daughters Zoey and Kessler McCarver on their way to the Chambliss Center for Children in Chattanooga, TN.
Caitlin Bell with daughter Kessler McCarver at early morning drop-off at the Chambliss Center for Children in Chattanooga, TN.
Staff employee MarQuita Jennings with children at the Chambliss Center for Children in Chattanooga, TN.
Late night at Chamblis Center for Children as the kids prepare their sleeping cots for either late-night pick up or overnight stays at the center. Photographed on August 22, 2013 in Chattanooga, TN.
Dolliethea Sandridge drops off her son Josiah at the Chambliss Center for Children in Chattanooga, TN.
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