This month I’ve been working on a documentary photography project with SGI Detroit Lion Heart District.

SGI stands for Soka Gakkai International, a lay Buddhist movement based on Nichiren Buddhism. Three things contribute to the uniqueness of this project. First, Nichiren Buddhism is a very progressive school among different Buddhism schools. Second, there have been a lot of wonderful photographers documenting the physical change of Detroit, but not so much the spiritual side of the city. Third, Lionheart district, which is based in Midtown, mostly consists of African American youths. Their vibrant presence really brought an interesting dynamic into this group.

I intended this project to be long-term, July is just the start. So far I’ve been building relationships with the friends from this group and trying to gain support on my project.

The end results I want to make happen include a website, some media coverage from the perspective of documentary photography, as well as an exhibition in the city.

If you’re interested in learning more about my project, feel free to contact me at meiyicheng1010@gmail.com