My name is Kameelah Janan Rasheed, and I am an artist committed to supporting fellow creatives. Today, I am reaching out on behalf of an extraordinary artist and advocate who wishes to remain anonymous for privacy.

This individual is a Black, queer, disabled nonbinary photographer whose photographic work has been featured in major publications nationwide. They have documented the lives and work of celebrated Black writers, musicians, and cultural producers, and has served as a mentor and advocate for marginalized photographers.

In 2025, they lost their full-time job, which provided both a stable income and essential insurance to manage chronic health conditions. Since then, the challenges have mounted: they lost their home, have been moving between friends’ places, and are without a clear safety net. Their storage facility, which houses their entire archive of negatives, books, framed works, and equipment, is now at risk of being repossessed.

Amidst these hardships, a moment of hope arrived in the form of an invitation to participate in a major museum exhibition. However, this opportunity is not possible without community support.

I am asking that we rally around this amazing human to ensure that they have funds to cover the next few months as they work to rebuild their life after this catastrophic disruption. More than anything else, our goal is to secure a period of relief for them. They suffer from very intense depression, and this time has been extraordinarily difficult for them.

For transparency, funds will be used for the following:

Any and all support is appreciated and necessary. Your generosity will help ensure this artist has a moment of ease and can continue their very necessary work.