Mission

When he left Afghanistan in 2011, he returned to the Bronx with a dream of creating an educational space that would provide the South Bronx with much needed access and exposure to high-quality documentary work. After purchasing an abandoned landmarked building, he partnered with arts administrator and co-founder Danielle Jackson and turned the building’s 1,000-square-foot storefront into the Bronx Documentary Center’s permanent home.

The Center’s programming is robust, with over 50 major exhibitions and hundreds of public programs, including film screenings, lectures, workshops, free guided exhibition tours for over 5,000 students, and community-based service projects for South Bronx residents. Over 50,000 people have visited the BDC gallery and participated in its programs. The center is particularly proud that over 70 percent of its visitors and participants come from the Bronx.

Melrose is the proud home to immigrants from around the globe, including many from the Caribbean, West Africa, Mexico, and South and Central America. To serve the Melrose community, the BDC opens up local discussions through film and photography and provides access to world-class exhibitions and screenings, all the while being fully rooted in the concerns and needs of Bronx residents.

 Additionally, the BDC not only employs Bronx residents, but also promotes educational programming that empowers our neighbors to tell their own stories. By carving out a unique arts space, the BDC seeks to encourage Bronx residents to participate in the vibrant culture of Melrose and beyond.

Through exhibitions, screenings, and public programming, we show the work of internationally-renowned and emerging photographers and filmmakers who are dealing with the themes that guide the BDC: justice, education, community-building, and positive social change.

We also provide free education programs for middle and high school students as well as a professional education program for historically underrepresented adult Bronx-based photographers. This program provides opportunities for professional development and skills training in photojournalism, filmmaking and documentary photography.