Sahan Journal photographer Aaron Nesheim chose these images as his top 10 photos of 2023:
1. Comedians of color
I met comedian Abenezer Merdassa on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis. We wandered the park looking for an engaging spot to take photos while discussing our favorite comedians. A patch of small yellow flowers presented itself, and the match with Abenezer’s Pittsburgh jersey seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.
He kindly obliged my request to lie down among the lemon-colored weeds (bird’s-foot trefoil). His easy smile and quick laugh completed the lighthearted image.
2. Beyoncé rocks Minneapolis
A summer assignment was to head to Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis in search of Beyoncé’s best-dressed fans. As Minnesotans from all corners of the state awaited entry, several were kind enough to strike a pose and show off their hand-crafted costumes.
Handrick Leleibre Perez’s costume stood out, and with a deft tip of the hat, created a striking image.
3. Juneteenth in north Minneapolis
Juneteenth was a highlight. Dance teams in colorful uniforms backed by marching bands paraded down West Broadway. Food trucks lined the street, emanating mouth-watering scents. After several years of what has felt like nonstop trauma in Minneapolis, this year’s festivities felt like a time for healing.
4. A ‘walking play’ about the Dalai Lama
When I was asked to attend the dress rehearsal for a “walking play,” I wasn’t sure what to expect. I soon found out, as I followed the cast of “The Buddha Prince” on a journey through Washburn Fair Oaks Park in Minneapolis, and through the life of the 14th Dalai Lama. It proved to be one of my most memorable experiences this year.
5. Drag queens of color
Somehow I had made it my whole life without experiencing the joyful chaos of a drag performance. A request to photograph two drag brunches for a profile on Black drag performers fixed that.
Drag queens in elaborate costumes glided down the aisles at Union Rooftop in Minneapolis to a selection of Lady Gaga’s greatest hits. A gorgeously sunny day provided high-key lighting to match the high energy of the performance.
6. Global crops in Minnesota
Sahan Journal’s environmental reporter, Andrew Hazzard, took me on a field trip to the University of Minnesota’s vegetable patch in Falcon Heights. Researchers had teamed up with community gardeners from the African diaspora to grow vegetables native to Africa, and community members were invited to sample what they had grown.
Soft, golden light from a sinking sun bathed the fields with a warm glow as we learned about how researchers and gardeners had collaborated to make vegetables from a very different climate viable in Minnesota.
7. ‘Lawyer camp’ for teens
Our education reporter, Becky Dernbach, and I were invited along with a group of rising ninth-graders as they learned about what it takes to become lawyers. The camp brought students from Latino backgrounds to the Ramsey County courtroom of Judge Jacob Kraus.
Photographers are generally prohibited from making images during court proceedings, so I had never personally experienced the machinations of court. I learned as much as the students that day about the criminal justice process.
8. Nadia Mohamed becomes Minnesota’s first Somali mayor
On Election Day 2023, I headed out to St. Louis Park to meet mayoral candidate Nadia Mohamed as she knocked on doors to get residents out to the polls. Later in the evening, I headed to her watch party, where supporters, campaign volunteers, and Minnesota politicians like Keith Ellison and Peggy Flanagan awaited results in local elections across Minnesota.
When the results for St. Louis Park mayor came in, a cheer enveloped the room. Mayor-Elect Mohamed moved through the crowd clamoring to congratulate her. She headed toward the podium, and as she passed, I threw my camera over my head, over the crowd, to photograph her reaction of pure joy and excitement.
9. East Phillips residents protest Smith Foundry’s pollution
In late October, Sahan Journal published an article about Smith Foundry in south Minneapolis. The federal Environmental Protection Agency had found Smith to be in violation of the Clean Air Act, emitting lead over the Phillips neighborhood above safe levels.
Phillips residents quickly mobilized to protest outside the foundry. I spotted Evan Mulholland, an environmental lawyer, and pointed to my camera. Evan nodded, and I snapped this image which seemed to sum up the sentiment that evening.
10. Indigenous Peoples’ Day
As a huge fan of the Hulu show “Reservation Dogs,” I knew of the potato dance, but had never witnessed one myself. My opportunity came at an Indigenous People’s Day event on Harriet Island in St. Paul.
Dancers paired up and held a tuber sandwiched between their foreheads. The last pair to drop their potato would be declared the winners. In a display of coordination and teamwork, the competition’s two youngest contestants went the distance.
