Detroit’s Youngest is a portrait series and story looking into the lives of children who have been shot while living in Detroit, Michigan. According to Detroit Police, 61 children were injured in 2015, and six were killed by guns violence. In 2016, 43 children survived gunshots wounds while eight of them were killed. In April 2018, three unrelated children were shot in just over 48 hours. These children face different recovery times and many of them have to live with physical disabilities and trauma for the rest of their lives.

Elaine Cromie started Detroit’s Youngest as part of an assignment with the Detroit Free Press and has continued meeting with children and families across the city. Gun violence is one of many social issues that exist in Detroit. This is important to look at when talking about Detroit as an evolving city. These photographs are of Detroit’s youngest survivors as they transition from recovery to their new lives.

How to View Detroit’s Youngest

During the day, Detroit’s Youngest can be viewed on monitors inside the ICP Museum and during evening hours, images are literally “projected” onto the windows of the ICP Museum; they can be viewed from the sidewalk outside the Museum and are most visible after sunset. Learn more about Projected.

About the Artist

Elaine Cromie is a visual journalist and documentary photographer based in Detroit, Michigan. Her work and research is largely focused on government policies that affect immigrants and refugees, and, recently, the effects of US military bases around the world and the negative impact on women. Cromie has spent several years getting to know people who live near the northern and southern US borders and learning about their struggles and triumphs, identity, and safety.

Cromie is a board member of the Authority Collective and member of Women Photograph and believes that the media and visual media landscapes need to be challenged and changed to better reflect our diverse world.