Mel Rosenthal, Seeking Justice With a Camera
Mel Rosenthal, the photographer and teacher whose “In the South Bronx of America” showcased his passion for the underdog, is remembered by Ricky Flores, one of his many former students.
When I decided in 1980 to be a photographer, I went out and started taking pictures of my family, friends and neighborhood. I was a typical beginner, even if I didn’t live in your typical neighborhood: This was the South Bronx during the era when arson and abandonment fueled by government dysfunction turned it into a globally-infamous and desolate urban landscape.