Ariel "AJ" Jones, 25, poses for a portrait with his daughter, Lexi Preston, in East New York, NY on July 12, 2015.

By Hannah Kressel

The classic photographic imagination frequently represents black men in a few ways: depicted either alone or with other men, typically in urban scenes, on street corners or in front of buildings. These images — together with statistics that highlight the preponderance of single-parent homes in black communities — create and perpetuate a simplistic conception of black men and black fatherhood. In actuality, black fathers are no less involved in their children’s lives than fathers from other ethnic groups. In her photo series, Raising East New York, photographer Phyllis B. Dooney offers a different portrayal of black fatherhood than the traditional narrative: one that features an intimate relationship between black men and their children.

Jason "Law" Woods, 42, poses for a portrait with his daughter, Nevoeh West-Woods, in East New York, NY on July 28, 2015.

Dooney, currently based in North Carolina, began the series after becoming familiar with the Brooklyn neighborhood, East New York. At the time, she was photographing students in a marching band and became interested in exploring the familial support systems of those students. She aims to promote a nuanced perspective on black fatherhood, both through photography and interviews she conducted with her subjects.

Prince" Pierce, 22, poses for a portrait with his son, Prince David Pierce, in East New York, NY on March 29, 2015.

In a 2016 article for the GroundTruth Project, Dooney writes, “[Raising East New York] helps fill the vacuum of understanding by personally exploring how day-to-day life in a disadvantaged neighborhood affects these fathers and their parenting.”

Ramall Thomas, 24, poses for a portrait in East New York, NY on April 19, 2015.

One photograph features a man, Raheem Grant, holding his young daughter, Nature. She nestles into his lap as his arms curl around her protectively. Grant ruminates on his relationship with his own father in a quote in the photograph’s caption: “When I was growing up, I didn’t have a father. My little one, she gets scared of the dark. ‘You don’t have to be scared because Daddy is here,’” he tells her. “Just knowing that I am there for [my children] makes me feel like I accomplished a lot.”

Raheem Grant, 39, poses for a portrait with his daughter, Nature Grant in East New York, NY on April 18, 2015.

Another man, Willie Johnson, is photographed alone. However, hung on the wall behind him is a photograph of Johnson and a pregnant woman. They lean into each other; their hands come together against the woman’s belly. Scrawled across the photograph, written in marker, are short phrases. Though they are inscrutable from the distance of the photograph, a heart drawn in Sharpie on the photograph over the woman’s stomach is evident. Projected on the wall is the inverted reflection of tall buildings and a blue sky.

Willie Johnson, 33, poses for a portrait in East New York, NY on Feb. 13, 2016.

Another father, Joshua Mann, poses with his son, King Joshua Mann. The father is standing, holding his young son against his chest. They look out at the scene beyond the camera. In a quote accompanying the photograph, Mann explains, “I'm just gonna keep my son strong to me. He's like my best friend. He's gonna be stuck to me like glue. I can't let nothing happen to him. I'd let it happen to me before it'd happen to him. I can't be subject to my son out here being shot, stabbed or however they go."