Between Nostalgia and Dreams: an immigrant photographer’s defiant stance against Trump

Briana Ellis-Gibbs

Feb. 11, 2025, 9:02 a.m.

Yusuf Ahmed’s experience of moving from Ethiopia to Kenya to the US inspires his poignant new exhibition

With his new show, Yusuf Ahmed is challenging traditional expectations of who belongs in the narrative of American history. Between Nostalgia and Dreams showcases Ahmed’s breathtaking photographs that explore the identities of young Black, brown and queer adults through the use of objects of their choosing that represent their personal history and resilience. It’s a direct act of defiance against efforts by Donald Trump’s administration to erase marginalized communities from history through the banning of DEI and Black history in the federal workplace.

“We’re looking at an administration that’s trying to distort history, suppress the archives, and remove any display or representation of our identities,” Ahmed says. “I think it’s important, especially here in the US, to continue pushing [the] message forward that we exist, that our lives are expansive, and that we hold so many different identities.”