Photovoice as Counterspeech.

Abstract

A notorious hate group purchased anti-Muslim advertisements on buses operated by the San Francisco Municipal Transit Authority. The San Francisco Human Rights Commission engaged members of the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities in a photovoice project to explore the cultural identities, challenges, and resilience of community members coping with discrimination. The project provided a case example of photovoice as counterspeech and demonstrated the way in which counterspeech empowers affected communities to push back against harmful and threatening expression with resilience, cultural pride, and self-determination. Women and men in the photovoice participant group represented a wide range of backgrounds and ethnicities: Palestinian, Indian, Pakistani, and Lebanese. Religious affiliations included Muslim, Sikh, Christian, nondenominational, and agnostic. The exhibit was presented to the public in three major venues and was made available online.