Sarah-Julia Marion: Voting's Visual Storytelling Through the Lens of Change

By Daphnee Whitmore

In a constantly evolving world, and in our democracy where every voice matters, young voters stand at the forefront of change. To inspire this demographic to engage in the electoral process, it is passionate and talented activists like Sarah-Julia Marion who harness the power of visual storytelling, which acts as a catalyst for conversation and action amongst the youth. Going beyond traditional means to underscore the vital importance of voting, her work closes the gap between art and activism.

Despite being raised in a place where young Black women in law and journalism are scarce, Sarah-Julia still found her passion. A rising sophomore at Hampton University (a top HBCU in Virginia), she is pursuing a dual major in criminal justice and journalism, driven by a desire to “diversify fields historically dominated by white males.”  Influenced by her father's work in film and photography, she developed a passion for capturing moments that matter. Her personal experiences, particularly the events surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement, drove her journey into activism, making her acutely aware of the power of civic engagement.

Sarah-Julia's photography is characterized by its focus on themes of identity, justice, and community, ideas Sarah-Julia herself has grappled with throughout her own life. One of her notable roles as Social Media Coordinator, conducted with PA Youth Vote, aims to raise awareness about voting among young people, using visuals and fun concepts to do so. By blending art with activism, she transforms (oftentimes mundane) civic concepts into compelling visual narratives that resonate deeply with her very specific audience.

Through her lens, Sarah-Julia has successfully influenced young people’s perceptions of voting, making a profound impact on civic engagement. As Angelique Hinton, Executive Director of PA Youth Vote, puts it, “Her continued dedication to remaining part of our organization and helping us increase our impact is a testament to her commitment. We all feel privileged to work with her.”

In a recent conversation with Sarah-Julia, she offered valuable insights into her journey:

So what first got you interested in photography?

“My dad did, actually, my dad is in film and photography and does a lot of editing, a lot of film photography and whatnot. And so growing up, I'd always been very camera interested. So I was the kid that wanted to touch cameras and just be around them. Like, when you were younger, did you ever have the disposable cameras that you use? Like, when you have summer camp, the ones you just like plug them in, you charge them up, you take the little S-E card almost like a date like what's becoming the trend now digital cameras like that i had probably five or six those as a kid. I was always a camera kid. And so as I got older, my dad started teaching me the different things about cameras, and it kind of just became a hobby. It wasn't like, I just wanna get into something that we find type of hobby. It's something that was always there for me as a kid. God, look at like the ipad kids now like they take pictures of the most random things in their tablet. That would have been me if I had a tablet at that age. Just like random selfies on the camera, stuff like that.”

What made you interested in voting? 

“I think that's a complicated question that I get asked quite a lot where I've actually never sat down and actually myself thought about what got me into voting. But I've always been a leader oriented person. I've always liked leadership, being in charge, finding ways to create spaces where I'm heard and validated. I grew up in white, private Catholic schools, and that was one thing that deterred me from really feeling like I had a voice. So for a while I was very quiet and didn’t really say much, until my eighth grade year, during the pandemic with George Floyd and just the different things going on with Black Lives Matter and whatnot. I felt like that was where I started to see what I wanted. And so I started speaking out a little bit more, doing research. And I was like, 14, doing research on Black Lives Matter, educating myself on this stuff. And like, you would hear people talking like, she's 14, she knows more than grown adults do. So that was like a click when I started to realize I knew more than like my peers did than my family did. For high school I ended up transferring into Parkway Northwest, which is down in West Philly, and that's when I joined the Academy for Peace and Social Justice at my school. And it just took off. I was given this space and the outlet to just lead and be a leader and insert myself into different opportunities where I was pushing myself out of my comfort zone, but also pushing myself to be a leader and show what a leader really is. And I was connected with PA Youth Vote, which is how I got into voting itself where then it was like there were so many different intersections of things I was interested in where I found myself looking and finding things I liked. So I feel like the Peace and Social Justice Academy was what got me interested in voting, because of the connection to PA Youth Vote and VoteThatJawn and many other different organizations. But it was also the different connections I made during eighth grade with what was going on present in front of me, with history changing .... And, Black Lives Matter. To exploit all of that, that is where you intersect into how I got into voting, because it starts with one thing. Then it was like a chain effect, it led into different things.”

Alright. My final question is: what advice would you give to other younger people that have artistic interests looking to engage in activism?“

I would say, just start. It's the same thing. You hear people saying, constant social media when it comes to content creation. Just start. The biggest piece of advice that I've learned that I can share with others is, if you keep waiting and you keep saying about a post on this day, “I'm gonna wait to do it on this day,” you are going to keep pushing off that deadline and that start date. So you just never do it. It's going to fall in the back of the gutter, and it's never gonna happen. And so the best piece of advice I can say is just start. You have to begin somewhere with your chapter. Every story has a starting point and ending point. But with activism, there is no ending point. It is always going to continue going. And so I think the best piece of advice I can say is to start, because you don't start, you get nowhere in life.”

Sarah-Julia Marion continues to evolve as an artist and activist, using her photography to amplify voices that often go unheard. Her ongoing projects aim to further engage young voters, reminding them that their participation in democracy is not just a right, but a responsibility. As she poignantly advises, “Just start.” Young people are encouraged to harness their creativity and step into the arena of civic engagement, one photo, and one vote at a time.

Daphnee Whitmore is a Haitian American college student who is passionate about criminal justice reform and hopes to attend law school.