IV: Alone Together

Finding Each other Through The Dark

I met Sesay at one of our very few in person events of the pandemic. He’s mild mannered, kind and gentle. He considers himself a Brooklyn man, but don’t make the mistake of calling him a Nets fan— “nooo, no, no, don’t say I’m a Nets fan . . . I used to live in brooklyn—I’m a brooklyn guy— but I’m a Knicks fan.” Originally from Liberia he arrived at Coler around 5 years ago, and now calls Roosevelt Island his home. I called him earlier in the week to check in on him (he was having some trouble seeing), and ask him about his contribution to the Roosevelt Island iteration of Alone Together.

One of several installations across New York State, Alone Together was initiated by the Memory Maker Project—an art, culture and advocacy program for aging adults, people living with memory loss, and individuals living in care communities. The multimodal project aims to bring forward and celebrate the voices of community members who’ve suffered the brunt of isolation due to Covid-19. Coler residents and neighbors submitted photographs of their everyday lives during the height of the pandemic. These were then printed onto large posters and pasted on large outdoor columns and unveiled on Roosevelt Island Day, one of the first large public events as restrictions eased. It was a beautiful event filled with the joy of seeing friends we hadn’t seen for months. It was also a way to honor the collective grief of all the loss we experience. In the end it revealed that, somehow, in the aloneness there was also a sense of community and togetherness.

For Sesay, photography has been a grounding practice amidst so much uncertainty. He explains “I just take[the photos] because it keeps my mind up; it's recreation for me. I use it as a therapy and when I take pictures it helps me to stay on my feet.”

Read our full conversation below

Dexter: Hi Sesay, it’s Dexter, how are you?

Sesay: It was a tough weekend for me, but I'm good. My sister is supposed to come this coming Saturday.

Dexter: Everything is ok? I just wanted to check in to see how you’re doing.

Sesay: I had some trouble seeing, so I was worrying a lot. Thank you for checking on me. I’m doing a lot better now.

Dexter: Hey Sesay, where are you from?

Sesay: I’m from Liberia, it’s a third world country.

Dexter: And how long have you been here?

Sesay: Yeah, I been here long. I used to live in Brooklyn . . . One guy asked me, where are you from? And I say Brooklyn. And the guy was African, and the African guy says, No, I mean your country, and I say Liberia, and he says, now you’re talking. But yeah I lived in Brooklyn a long time.

Dexter: Oh yeah so you’re a Nets . . .

Sesay: Noooo no don’t say I’m a nets fan (both laugh).  I used to live in brooklyn—I’m a brooklyn guy—but I’m a Knicks fan.

Dexter: Do you miss Liberia?

Sesay: Yeah, I mean sometimes, but I love NY. The trouble with my condition is that it's not a good place for me.

Dexter: Oh I see. Sesay, I love your photos, you’ve become such a  photographer.

Sesay: I do that for recreation and it lightens my days. Roosevelt Island is beautiful. One time I send a photo to my friend, and she didn’t believe it was NYC. I told her that it was NY, and she said no way it must be some place else

Dexter: And where do you get inspiration?

Sesay: I just take it from the phone. I take pictures with my phone because it keeps my mind up. It's a recreation for me. I use it as a therapy and when I take pictures it helps me to say on my feet.

Dexter: I love that. 

Sesay: Yeah, I love Roosevelt Island, oh god.

Dexter: Would you say it helped you through the pandemic to take pictures?

Sesay: Yeah yeah. It’s like therapy for me.

Dexter: Are you working on something right now?

Sesay: Mostly I want to work on computer because of my strengths. I don’t really know much about computer, but I would like to do digital images or something like that. Things in 3d and bring something to life.

Dexter: That’s amazing. And have there been any life lessons from this pandemic? Do you see your life differently now that . .

Sesay: Oh yes, yes, I can see my life going somewhere that I’ve never been, so I want to be there. I feel my life to be somewhere different so I need to be there. That’s a change in my life. I’d like to be somewhere that I’ve never been. And the only way I can get there is through this . . .my wheelchair gonna take me there. I use my wheelchair a lot. The only way I can be there is through my wheelchair . . . I’m sorry, I can’t stop talking if you give me a chance to (both laugh).

Dexter: No no, that’s ok. I love to hear that. I’m glad you’re doing better Sesay.

Sesay: Thanks for checking in on me. I really appreciate it.