Blackness in the Diaspora
An exhibition at the Haitian American Museum of Chicago
Yeefah Thurman’s exhibition, Blackness in the Diaspora, takes viewers on a virtual journey exploring Blackness across borders, cultures and time.
Summer 2025 Vienna, Austria
As a Pulitzer Center Fellow, Yeefah visited Vienna, Austria, during the summer of 2025 to document how the rise of right-wing government leaders affected the day-to-day lives of the Black queer community in Austria. Her interviews with 10 Black queers in Vienna are documented by her photos that show the connections and a spirit that refuses to die despite being repeatedly kicked to the curb through different times and places.
2017 to 2020 Waukegan, Illinois
From 2017 to 2020, Yeefah spent time at Toby’s, a local bar in Waukegan, Illinois. She loved going to Toby’s which she affectionately began to call “the hood bar.” The vibe in Toby’s was friendly and jovial. A red-light ambiance on karaoke nights filled Toby’s with a dreamy magic of music, singing and the emotions fueling the night. Toby’s served drinks and soul food.
On New Year’s Eve, people would order a to-go container of the traditional African American New Year’s Day meal collard greens and black-eyed peas so that they didn’t have to bother preparing the meal themselves after a night of partying. After the COVID-19 pandemic, Toby’s lost its original vibe never made a comeback. Yeefah’s images, and the memories of Toby’s patrons, are all that remain from that time.
2018 to 2022 Latin America
From 2018 through 2022, Yeefah traveled through Latin America photographing Blacks living under the experience of “two sides of a coin, one side rich in culture, the other side confronting racism.” From El Carmen, Peru, to Mexico City, Puebla and Costa Chica, Mexico; to Yanga and Mata Clara, Veracruz, Yeefah’s photos show the rich heritage, the contributions of Blacks living in Latin America. The images radiate with the connections and the familiarity she felt with Blackness in Latin America.
2018 to 2020 Chicago, Illinois
From 2018 to 2020, Yeefah began taking photographs in the Chicagoland area to capture the spirit of Blackness. She dug deep into the minds of young Blacks through intimate conversations about the N-word. She saw Black youth express themselves through performance and word play at the Young Chicago Authors open mic night. YCA gives youth the space to develop their writing and voice.
Black youth learn to express what they see and feel, and they learn how to mobilize people with their words. Yeefah’s images show the emotions, the power behind their words. Blackness is both intense and joyful.
Links
Yeefah Thurman’s website: https://yeefah.com
Exhibition: https://hamoc.libraryhost.com/exhibits/show/blackness-in-the-diaspora—vi/about-the-exhibition
Jim Perez is a journalist and entrepreneur whose career spans investigative reporting, editorial leadership, and creative business ventures. As COO of Grant Life Wellness Solutions and a faculty member in Chicago, he brings a sharp eye for narrative and a deep commitment to authentic storytelling.
On Yeefah’s blog, Jim curates longform features that connect collectors, artists, and cultural workers to the lineage and meaning behind installation art. His writing blends newsroom rigor with entrepreneurial insight, helping readers see how identitycentered art preserves stories and drives cultural memory.