Ruddy (Radcliffe) Roye is a Brooklyn-based documentary photographer, photojournalist, and activist for Black Lives Matter. Roye’s work explores the “raw and gritty lives of grass-roots people, especially those of his homeland of Jamaica.” His photographic series of dancehalls around the world, and festivals such as J’ouvert highlight how the vernacular of dance, music, and celebration is a form of activism.

Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Roye immigrated to the U.S. in 1990, where he started his journalism career at the Associated Press in New York City. He has since worked for The New York Times, Essence, Ebony, ESPN Magazine, and more. In 2016, he was named the TIME Instagram photographer of the year for his photographs that captured the lives of Black Americans across the country. When talking about his work in TIME, Roye ascertains that “[b]efore anything, before language, we see… And if I can make you think about a particular subject matter before you even start to talk about it, then that’s my aim. My aim is to change your thought process.”

Roye has visited Salt many times as a guest speaker and served on our associate board. He is currently a National Geographic Explorer Fellow.