Jennifer’s Family

Loui

sa M

arie

Sum

mer

ABOUT THE BOOK…

Louisa Marie Summer’s photographs in this book share

her experience with Jennifer, a young second-generation

Puerto Rican woman, whom one day Louisa approached

in South Providence, Rhode Island. Jennifer lives with her

native American partner and their four children at or near

the lower end of the socio-economic ladder. South

Providence is an urban neighborhood with a large

African-American and Hispanic population, high

unemployment and crime rates; many families live well

below the poverty line. Over time Louisa and the family

developed a close relationship based on mutual

understanding, respect, and trust.

Accordingly, Louisa’s photographs provide an intimate

view into the daily life of Jennifer’s family. They illustrate

how a 26 year old mother, in spite of difficult living

conditions, poverty, and illness, manages to maintain

optimistic while thoroughly caring for her children.

Louisa’s photographs show a quality of great empathy,

but by no means does she expose weakness or defect;

she allows each of her subjects dignity and personal

impact.

Louisa Marie SummerJennifer’s Family With texts by

Mairéad Byrne

If you take us out of this raggedy-ass area

you will see we’re just like you.

It’s just that we’re a little more violent.

We’re from two different worlds, you and me.

Tompy to Louisa

ON THE BLOCK

I met him in Federal Hill and he was my serious

stalker. I was fourteen and he used to pop by my

house to bring me cigarettes. He was cool, real

cool. I used to sit there and tease him. I used to

like walk by, flirt a little bit with him. So that’s how

I know Tompy. From the block.

He seen me when I was pregnant. And he kicked

me out of his car. Because I wasn’t allowed to

smoke. Because I was pregnant. I didn’t see him

after that.

I moved to Friendship. Then I saw him at the store

with the Devo bike. I gave him a kiss on his cheek.

He got soup. He said Come and see me! We can

chill! My friend liked him so I tried to hook her up

with him but he said she was ugly. So he was still

trying to get with me. So in the process I started

talking to him and chillin with him. You know he

was just my booty call!

That’s how we got together. He ended up staying

with me. We have three children together. He’s

been around my son since my son was five

months. My son is now nine years old. Jennifer

MOTHERS

I fell in love with Tompy’s mother

before I even liked him. Tompy’s

mother was a sweetheart. She was

a good woman, a strong woman.

She was a teacher. She was great

as a mother and a grandmother, you

know. She was a really good

woman. She always wanted the best

for Tompy. But the street actually got

to him more than listening to his

mom and going on the right path.

Also his family went through a lot,

they lost his two sisters before

Tompy, actually Roline, Barbara, then

Tink, then the little one, I never

remember her name, one died of

leukemia, and the other one died a

crib death. So his mom been

through the same thing my mom

kinda been through, you know,

except my mom, her kid didn’t pass,

he got stolen. They went through

that drinking situation and all that.

And our stuff has a lot in common,

so me and him clicked off. Jennifer

DRIVING

A white girl

and a black guy

do not mix

on the next street.

So we have to go down this street right here

and the first turn, we turn around

and we gonna go back.

We going back home,

back to Jenny’s.

This is a dangerous street.

Matter of fact this guy right here,

he’s going to pull off (I know him)

and watch where he go —

He’s going straight!

He will not go on this street —

and he live right there!

He’s going to go up a couple of streets and turn.

Now you turn here, you turn here, you turn here!

Right go up! See that turn right there? This is where we going to turn

right right right right right right here right here!

Yeah we turn around,

we’re going back.

You can take that turn right there and go back to the house,

you got what I’m saying?

We can take that turn right there and go back to the house,

but I’d rather go back this way.

To be safe,

you know what I’m saying.

We be safe.

We be safe.

Pokey

MAD STRESS

My brother got shot at two o’clock in the afternoon. He was driving.

He came out of this lot and he turned around and they shot up his car.

They seen his face. The window was half-way down. They still shot at

him. They shot aiming at the baby’s head. They shot the fucking car

seat by accident. My niece is taller than my little nephew. If my niece

would have been in that car she would have been dead. It is so crazy.

So many things just happening. He’s got that bag in the stomach, now

he has to poop through a bag. On Harold and Regent, 9/12/11

After my brother got shot a boy got shot and he got killed. We know

him. That little boy. On Sumter Street, 11/28/11

We know Booda. He got shot right here. They blew his whole head

off. I seen everything afterward. So messed up. So messed up. Really

bad. On Broad Street, 10/26/11

The woman in the car. We know her too. She was young. Esscence.

She’s done. She’s dead. Left her kid behind. The other people that

was in the car with her got shot. On Broad Street,11/26/11

It’s been too much. It’s been crazy. Now my sister. Too much stuff

happening to her. And everything combined is like so fucked up. Life

is so full of shit you know. Like you really can’t live like this. I don’t

know, know what I’m saying, I don’t know how can they don’t stop the

killing. Jennifer

EVERYTHING CHANGES

I see my kids and they’re going to be alright.

By the time they’re big, they’re going to do good.

I see them doing good actually.

So yeah, I see my kids doing good.

I see them going to college.

I see it. I do.

I see my kids doing good.

I see them going to college,

doing something for themself,

being a doctor, either

a lawyer or something, something great.

By that time probably I’ll live in a house

and we’re doing very good

you know what I mean

we’ll be doing very good.

Not as bad as we are now.

It’s pretty hard.

Living.

Paying $800 and all that stuff.

By that time I’ll probably be fine from the sleep apnea.

I don’t know.

Everything will probably change you know.

That’s what happens in life.

Everything changes.

Jennifer

Somebody else is listening to what I’m going through,

and they’re probably going through that same thing.

I hope they take that as experience you know, run with it,

do what you got to do with your life, start it when you can.

Jennifer

WHEN I MET LOUISA

I always wanted to make a book about my life. I’m not a very friendly person.

Not saying that I’m racist or nothing but a white person, you know what I’m

saying, I think the worst of them. Because so many things just go on in life.

Social workers be popping out like that. It kind of made me nervous, when she

was speaking to my kid, and plus, not just that, my brother got stolen at nine

years old, so it was kind of an issue when she popped out. She was talking to

the kids, the kids was really friendly, like all over her and stuff, it dropped my

heart, you know what I’m saying. I was kind of like in a piss mood, threw on my

hoodie, went out there. I was speaking to her and she was explaining to me.

At first I didn’t want to hear it, I really didn’t care. But then when she explained

to me that she was a student, I said Alright, I guess I can do it, you know

what I’m saying? Tompy was awkward with her. Like Nah, no, heck no, what

are you crazy? You don’t know what she is. She’s probably an undercover

just checking up on you. Trying see what’s going on in the house. Trying

to see if the kids are fine or not, you know, stupid stuff. And I was like You

know, I don’t care, she can check whatever she wants to, I don’t have

nothing to hide. She showed me her ID, that was good, her RISD ID. You

did show me your ID! And I was like Oh Okay whatever. Alright. I was like

That’s fine. Then she explained to me she wanted to do the book and stuff,

afterwards, after we got to know her real good, and I was fine with it because

I always wanted to—like I can’t read, everybody that knows me knows I can’t

read, to save my life, you know. My kids know how to read and I force them to

read and get into books and stuff cuz I couldn’t, you know. I want my kids to

be better than I was, you know, as a kid. I want them to finish school and do

a lot of things really good. I think it’s going to be a great book. Jennifer

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