Dezmaire Baker

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Written By Justin Merriman

Dezmaire Baker, 17, gave birth to her son in eighth grade and is now a sophomore at Woodland Hills High School. Her son, Dorian, has just celebrated his second birthday.

Dezmaire Baker sits on the couch watching her 2-year-old son, Dorian, play at her family's Braddock home. Dezmaire gave birth to Dorian when she was in eighth grade.

Dorian, 2, plays with a flashlight at his Braddock home on Feb. 28, 2017.

Dorian Baker, 2, stands in the doorway of his Braddock home on Feb. 28, 2017. 

Dezmaire Baker, 17, poses for a portrait at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit in Homestead on Feb. 16, 2017.

Ronnika Baker, 36, holds her grandson, Dorian, 2, in the dining room of their Braddock home on Feb. 28, 2017.

Dorian Baker, 2, lays on the ground and laughs at a family gathering to celebrate his 2nd birthday at his Braddock home on April 3, 2017.

Dezmaire Baker, 17, helps her son, Dorian, 2, to ride a scooter along the sidewalk in front of their Braddock home on April 3, 2017.

Ronnika Baker, 36, holds her grandson, Dorian, 2, as she sits on the porch of their Braddock home on April 3, 2017.

Dezmaire participates in the Allegheny Intermediate Unit’s Project ELECT Program, which helps low-income pregnant teens and teen parents focus on education, training and employment goals. Here, her son, Dorian, looks out the window at his grandmother, Ronnika Baker, 36, at their Braddock home.

As the family gathered for her son's second birthday, Dezmaire Baker watched after him and stood near the edge of the sidewalk to stop Dorian from running into the street.

Dezmaire gave birth in eighth grade. As a teen mom in Pittsburgh, she’s fighting to beat the odds and graduate. Read her story at PublicSource. 

Justin Merriman

Justin Merriman is a freelance photojournalist, commercial photographer, licensed drone pilot, and filmmaker based in Pittsburgh. His career began in Southwestern Pennsylvania, where he worked as a newspaper photographer dedicated to community storytelling and politics. Since then, his work has been recognized with regional, national, and international awards and has appeared in publications around the world.

After covering the crash of United Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001, Merriman committed to documenting the U.S. military’s War on Terror, reporting from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and across the United States. His international assignments have also included life in Fidel Castro’s Cuba, India’s campaign to eradicate polio, the aftermath of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Cuba in 2012, the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis in Rome, the second anniversary of Egypt’s revolution, Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea, and the uncertain future of Guantanamo Bay in 2015. That same year, he traveled the full U.S.–Mexico border to document immigration issues.

In addition to photography, Merriman works as a director and filmmaker, creating recent films on refugees in Turkey, Jordan, India, and South Africa.

Closer to home, he frequently covers stories across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, focusing on the intersections of economic, environmental, and political life. Most recently, he reported on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and its impact on the community.

Born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Merriman graduated from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg with a B.A. in English Writing. In 2009, the university awarded him its prestigious Alumnus of Distinction award. He is a founding member of Argo Collective, a group of photographers sharing diverse visions of America. He lives outside Pittsburgh with his wife, Stephanie Strasburg, a photojournalist with PublicSource.

http://www.justinmerriman.com
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