In this new photo series called America 2.0, photographer Mark Bennington captures images of young American Muslims in New York City creating, as he says, “a visual translation through representation of what a dynamic American community should look like.”
“The idea germinated in the beginning of 2016,” he continues. “With all the Muslim/Trump rhetoric, it was definitely a direct response to what I felt were politicized images of American Muslims continually being depicted as some plagued foreign diaspora. I found this to be a crucial time to start a project that focused on the everyday of Muslim youth: What do ordinary lives and aspirations look like? Conversations on the youth have become huge during this election season, largely because of Bernie Sanders’ fervor. It made sense to start my journey of America 2.0 portraits with youth experiences in my own backyard, New York City.”
