Photographer Laila AnnMarie Stevens spent five years documenting her family as they moved from New York City to North Carolina. This transition serves as the foundation for the Clayton Sisterhood Project. Stevens views this relocation as a modern reversal of the Great Migration, where Black families moved north a century ago to seek safety and better economic outcomes.
The project captures the shift in lifestyle and location for her biological and chosen family members. By photographing relatives in their new surroundings in Clayton, North Carolina, Stevens explores how these moves reflect broader trends in the United States. Many Black families are returning to the South to find space, affordable living, and a different quality of life that is harder to secure in urban centers like Queens.
Beyond the geographic shift, the series examines the meaning of kinship. Stevens highlights the relationships between generations, including her great-great-grandmother and her young nieces. Through black and white portraits, she aims to create a visual continuity that places these family moments outside of a specific timeframe. The images emphasize the role of women as both caretakers and individuals worthy of being seen and remembered.
Stevens also investigates how identities influence the bonds we form. By including close friends alongside her biological relatives, she showcases how community is constructed through shared experience and support. The Clayton Sisterhood Project serves as an intimate archive of how people carry home with them while physical spaces change. It invites viewers to think about their own connections and the ways they define their personal circles.