Devin Allen facts for kids

Devin Allen is a talented American photographer and photojournalist from Baltimore, Maryland. He became well-known after the protests in Baltimore in 2015. His powerful photo, "Baltimore Uprising," was even featured on the cover of Time magazine. Later, another one of his photos from the George Floyd protests also made it onto Time's cover in 2020. His photographs are so important that they are kept in the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Devin Allen's Photography Journey

Capturing Important Moments

Devin Allen first gained national attention in 2015. This was during the protests that happened after the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore. However, he had shared his first protest photos a year earlier, in 2014. This was after the death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri. That event sparked protests in the area.

After the death of Freddie Gray on April 12, 2015, Devin Allen documented the protests. He grew up very close to where Freddie Gray died in Baltimore. Allen posted his photos on Instagram. Over three weeks of protests, he took about 10,000 pictures. His images of the protests quickly became very popular online. Major news outlets like the BBC, The Washington Post, and The New York Times covered his work.

One photo Allen took on April 25, 2015, was chosen for Time magazine's May 2015 cover. This made Allen only the third amateur photographer to have a Time cover photo. The picture, called Baltimore Uprising, shows a person running away from police officers in Baltimore. After Allen put the photo from his camera onto his phone, it took him hours to realize it had gone viral. He kept taking photos of the protests until it was dark.

Helping Others: "Through Their Eyes" Program

In 2015, after getting attention from Time magazine, Allen started a youth program. It's called "Through Their Eyes." This program teaches photography to students in Baltimore city schools. It especially helps those from areas where art programs don't have much funding. The program gives cameras to students. It also holds workshops and art shows for their work.

In 2016, Allen's photo exhibit "A Beautiful Ghetto" was shown at the Gallery Slought. In 2017, he released his first photography book, also called A Beautiful Ghetto. This book was nominated for an award, the 49th NAACP Image Awards, for "Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author."

Allen was also the first person to receive the Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship in 2017. This fellowship helped him continue his "Through Their Eyes" project.

Documenting More History: The George Floyd Protests

After the death of George Floyd in 2020, Devin Allen attended a protest in Baltimore. This protest was on June 5, 2020. At the event, he took a photograph that was featured on the cover of Time magazine. The photo shows a protester sitting with a megaphone. Other demonstrators are lying down on the ground.

In July 2020, Allen was chosen to be a Leica Ambassador.

About Devin Allen's Life

Devin Allen was born and grew up in West Baltimore. As of 2020, Allen is still very active in the Baltimore community. He says his goal when documenting events like protests is to tell the complete story.

According to a report on National Public Radio, Devin Allen received his first camera in 2013. It was a gift from his grandmother. She bought him a Canon camera on credit from Best Buy.