Alum Spotlight: Milton Lindsay ’07
Documentary photographer Milton Lindsay ’07 traces his passion for photography back to Friends Select’s art classes, where the Quaker values embedded in the curriculum fostered his commitment to social justice. He recalls former middle school history teacher John Colgan-Davis, who encouraged his curiosity and taught him to approach the world with openness and wonder. This mindset continues to influence how he connects with those he documents through his photography. “I approach my subjects with graciousness and without pretension,” Milton explained. “I always see myself as equal with the people I'm working with for any given project. This creates a relationship built on trust and provides access to important stories and otherwise hidden communities that I've been working with for the last couple of years.”
In his recent project For Another Land, Milton centers themes of immigration and the experiences of Mexican H-2A seasonal farmworkers, capturing both their labor during the summer in the fields of North Carolina—which hosts roughly 10% of the 300,000 H-2A farmworkers nationwide annually—and their family lives in Mexico during the winter.
H-2A laborers spend six to 10 months each year living and working on American farms, enduring conditions such as crowded work camps, long hours, and sweltering temperatures. “The program is largely misunderstood, despite the critical role these individuals play in America’s agricultural system,” Milton shared. “Through my work, I hope to change the narrative and generate a better understanding of who these people are and what their contributions are to this country.”
Photo Credit: Milton Lindsay www.miltonlindsay.com
With exhibitions in Ohio and North Carolina, Milton’s work has already sparked conversations and shifted perceptions to foster an understanding of the sacrifices of migrant farm workers. Milton’s commitment to the subject has earned him a Fulbright-García Robles Scholarship, which will support the next phase of his project. This month he travels to Mexico, to continue documenting the impact of the H-2A visa program on workers and their families. “This award has opened doors to reach larger audiences, with the goal of exhibiting in larger venues like museums and universities in the years ahead. It’s exciting to see this next phase become a reality.”
