Behind the Lens: BW’s 2016 Year in Photographs

For the first time, I am presenting my annual Year in Photographs. These may not be the top news stories as far as the mainstream media is concerned but each picture represents memorable moments.

All of them were taken either by me or a Black Westchester Magazine photographer on my staff (unless otherwise noted). For many of the images, I’ve included the brief backstory behind the image to provide further context or to share why that image was particularly important to me.

So here we go Black Westchester Magazines’s First Annual Year in Review, Pictorially Speaking!

Valhalla, New York — Starting of the first official weekend of the Summer of 2016, African-Americans In Media were honored at the 32nd African-American Heritage Festival Celebration, Sunday, June 26th at the Kensico Dam Plaza. This was the first award as Editor-In-Chief of Black Westchester, I received.

Honorees included Monica Bertram-Bennett (Global Head of Bloomberg’s Corporate Communications multimedia and brand entertainment teams), Scott Pierce (Photojournalist who has worked at WPIX, WWOR and is currently a Cameraman for FOX 5NY), Damon K. Jones (Publisher of Black Westchester Magazine & Host of People Before Politics Radio), AJ Woodson (Editor-In-Chief of Black Westchester Magazine & Host of People Before Politics Radio), Sandra T. Blackwell (President, Publisher and Editor of the Westchester County Press) and Justin Walters (Sports Anchor with WRNN/Fios1 News).

The second greatest moment of 2016 was the celebration of our 2 Year Anniversary, Wednesday, July 20th at Mangoville Restaurant Bar-N-Grill, in New Rochelle

On Tuesday, February 2nd, four years after eighteen-year-old Ramarley Graham was shot and killed by NYPD Officer Richard Haste inside Graham’s grandmother’s Bronx home (749 East 229th Street), the family rallies for justice from the home to the 47th Pct. Supporters chant and let the NYPD know they have not forgot and wont stop until they get justice for Ramarley’s murder.

BROADWAY FOR BLACK LIVES MATTER Sunday, July 31st and Monday, August 1st at Columbia University

AJ Woodson

AJ Woodson is the Editor-In-Chief of Black Westchester and Co-Owner of Urban Soul Media Group, the parent company, Host & Producer of the People Before Politics Radio Show. AJ is a Father, Brother, An Author, Journalism Fellow (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism), Hip-Hop Artist - one third of the legendary underground rap group JVC FORCE known for the single Strong Island, Radio Personality, Hip-Hop Historian, Documentarian, Activist, Criminal Justice Advocate and Freelance Journalist whose byline has appeared in several print publications and online sites including The Source, Vibe, the Village Voice, Upscale, Sonicnet.com, Launch.com, Rolling Out Newspaper, Daily Challenge Newspaper, Spiritual Minded Magazine, Word Up! Magazine, On The Go Magazine and several others.