Alexia Grant recipients included on ‘Best Photojournalism of the Decade’ list

Kaushal and Rajni at their marriage ceremony. Three sisters—Radha, 15; Gora, 13; and Rajni, 5—were married to their young grooms Aleen, Giniaj and Kaushal on the Hindu holy day of Akshaya Tritiya. Photo by Stephanie Sinclair.

Among the 10 photographers included on National Geographic’s list of the best photojournalism of the decade are three Alexia Grant recipients. Two of the featured projects were funded in part by Alexia Grants.

Stephanie Sinclair was honored for her work documenting child marriage. Noted National Geographic, “The project spurred a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women and ending child marriage.”

Sinclair received the Alexia Grant in 2008 to document child marriage in India, where she captured girls as young as five being married off, as well as a brave young girl who stood up against the practice.

Mary F. Calvert was commended for her work on sexual assault in the U.S. military and its lingering effects.

Calvert received the Alexia Women’s Initiative Grant in 2014 to document homelessness among female veterans, for whom sexual assault had derailed careers and caused long-lasting emotional impact. Calvert’s Alexia-supported project was the third chapter in her four-volume examination of the issue.

A black and white image of a woman crying. — Melissa Ramon endured military sexual trauma at the hands of her training instructor and fellow airmen during her nine years in the US Air Force. Ramon suffers from post-traumatic stress and has been homeless off and on since her discharge. Photo by Mary F. Calvert.

Matt Black’s “Geographic of Poverty” was also included on the list. Black traveled through 46 states and Puerto Rico, challenging the “mainstream representation of America’s poor,” discovering “who gets their needs met and who doesn’t; who’s valued and who isn’t.”

Black was awarded the Alexia Professional Grant in 2003 for “The Forgotten Black Okies: A Lost Journey into a Land of Broken Promises,” and the Alexia Student Grant in 1994 for “The Transbay Terminal: San Francisco’s Destitute Gateway.”

Black and white photo of a man standing in the doorway of a small shack, surrounded by detritus. — Louisiana migrant at home. Photo by Matt Black.

In addition, Maggie Steber, a judge for the 2012 Alexia Grant competition, was honored for her work documenting the world’s first face transplant.

“The Alexia: 30 Years,” recently published by the Alexia Foundation, features the photographic work supported by the Alexia Grants over the last three decades, including projects by Sinclair, Calvert and Black. Books are available for purchase through the Syracuse University Bookstore. All proceeds will directly support future grant recipients.