Just outside the boundary of City College in Harlem, and appropriately in a pre-war building, cultural and architectural historian Michael Henry Adams (a freelancer for the AmNews) sinks into an armchair in the corner of his apartment, ready to tell his story. His choice of décor already says a lot.
The walls are painted a vibrant green, but are almost entirely obscured by paintings of every style, portraits of family and political figures, and literal pieces of New York history — like chunks of cornices that once adorned the façades of several now-demolished theaters and buildings. And just like the walls of his apartment, every side table, shelf, and mantel is covered in curios, candle holders, vases, books, and other antiques, and tells a story.
Despite the limited square footage, Wil and Joyous Pierce navigate their way into the apartment and install a full photography and audio recording studio. They set up a white backdrop for portraits, bring in audio equipment and tripods, and are equipped with both film and digital cameras. The duo moves carefully, making the most of the space.
For the next several hours, Wil stands behind his camera, waiting to capture the right moments, occasionally setting off a flash. Meanwhile, Joyous slips on her headphones, places a notebook and pen in her lap, and starts recording.
“Michael, when did you move to Harlem?” Wil asks.
“Around the summer of 1985 …” Adams begins.
Brother and sister Wil and Joyous Pierce are producing an oral history of Harlem called “Uptown Voices/”An Uptown Story. 
Photographer Wil Pierce sets up a backdrop for close-up photos of Adams. The sister-brother Pierce duo set up a makeshift studio where they brought in film and digital cameras, tripods, and audio equipment. 
Brother and sister Wil and Joyous Pierce are producing an oral history of Harlem called “Uptown Voices/”An Uptown Story. 
Photographer Wil Pierce sets up a backdrop for close-up photos of Adams. The sister-brother Pierce duo set up a makeshift studio where they brought in film and digital cameras, tripods, and audio equipment. 
Photographer Wil Pierce sets up a backdrop for close-up photos of Adams. The sister-brother Pierce duo set up a makeshift studio where they brought in film and digital cameras, tripods, and audio equipment. 
Photographer Wil Pierce sets up a backdrop for close-up photos of Adams. The sister-brother Pierce duo set up a makeshift studio where they brought in film and digital cameras, tripods, and audio equipment.
A love letter to Harlem
From mid-August through September, Joyous and Wil will record the memories and faces of long-established Harlem residents for their new project, “Uptown Voices/An Uptown Story.” The project is intended to be an immersive multimedia and oral history of Harlem, blending Wil’s professional photography work, Joyous’s expertise in art curation and cultural research, and their relatively new skills in audio recording.
Supported by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, the duo hopes to create an exhibit by the end of the year consisting of large-format portraits of Harlemites, accompanied by their stories, that patrons can access through QR codes.
The exhibition was inspired by the siblings’ time in Harlem and how the neighborhood became the setting for their strong creative and familial bond. That’s because Joyous and Wil were not born and raised in Harlem or in the same household. Their father, Bill Pierce, is an established concert photographer. He lived on 133rd Street.
Joyous grew up in Harlem and Long Island. “We knew of each other,” she said, “but we didn’t grow up together.”
Wil lived in Queens throughout his childhood, but made his way to Harlem through his father and their shared passion for photography. “He was literally the person who put a camera in my hand,” Wil said. Bill frequently photographed big names in the music industry while they performed in the music halls and concert venues that once dotted Harlem. According to Wil, his father was once Aretha Franklin’s personal photographer.
Bill often asked Wil to be his second shooter at concerts. It was a hands-on experience like no other. He remembers those moments with an air of disbelief. “I’m in high school and I’m backstage, you know? Helping photograph Aretha Franklin? With my dad! Like, what?!”
Wil eventually moved into his father’s Harlem apartment, right across from one of Joyous’s aunts. “He was living across the street the whole time. One day, he took the big-brother initiative to reach out. We actually met up in Harlem and reconnected in Harlem,” Joyous said.
Wil found community in his new neighborhood almost immediately, which surprised him because Queens had been home until then. “Even though I was the new kid on the block, everybody I spoke to, every shopkeeper and person, welcomed me and started giving me these history lessons of that block, that street, or that shop,” Wil said.
In what was to become a precursor to “Uptown Voices,” Wil began hanging out in the places his neighbors frequented, such as social clubs and corner stores. He brought his camera with him, taking portraits of his newfound community over the years.
Save for interviewing and recording audio, the project is pretty familiar territory for Wil and Joyous. Their first participant in the project was their father, Bill — the reason the siblings are so rooted in Harlem and why Wil picked up a camera in the first place.
“It’s a way to say thank you,” Wil said. “I want to photograph these people … they have watched me grow up over the last 20 years through my different evolutions, and really, cheered me on and made me the way I am now. They are like elders and uncles and aunties to me.”
“Uptown Voices” is familiar because Wil has been a professional photographer in Harlem for decades, but the brother and sister duo also wanted to include an oral storytelling component, which required Joyous to learn how to record and edit audio. 
Originally from Akron, Ohio, Adams keeps photos of himself and his family on the wall. He moved to New York to study architectural history and preservation in the summer of 1985. 
Originally from Akron, Ohio, Adams keeps photos of himself and his family on the wall. He moved to New York to study architectural history and preservation in the summer of 1985. 
Michael Henry Adams in his living room while being interviewed and photographed by brother and sister Wil and Joyus Pierce for their oral history project “Uptown Voices.” 
Wil and Joyous have a loose structure of how interviews will be conducted, but also wanted to leave room for the interviewees to freely express themselves. For example, for Adams’s portrait session, Wil encouraged accessories like a sunflower that was already in a living room vase. And Adams brought out several of his own hats to wear. 
“Uptown Voices” is familiar because Wil has been a professional photographer in Harlem for decades, but the brother and sister duo also wanted to include an oral storytelling component, which required Joyous to learn how to record and edit audio.
Weaving history together
Back in Adams’s apartment, the historian recounts everything from the mannerisms of the late councilmember Bill Perkins (he was once his staffer) to the AIDS epidemic of the ’80s, to the lost clubs and late-night restaurant scene of Harlem. Wil and Joyous only occasionally interject to clarify details or ask a more pointed question.
The process for interviewing all participants will be similar, Joyous explained. They’ll hit “Record” and ask a few questions. “The questions are more like guidelines, but they can take it where they want to take it. It’s really about creating that space for them,” she said. “Sometimes, the narrator will go into an entirely different realm than we expected, so we really want to capture all dimensions of that story.”
Wil said they prefer to shoot environmental portraits — in the participants’ own homes or businesses — but if participants prefer, they can be interviewed and photographed at Wil’s studio.
The Pierces hit the jackpot with Adams. The historian and preservationist is not only an activist and involved in local politics, but also a collector and sentimentalist. His home tells as much of his story as he does. His personal history with the neighborhood is deep, and he has devoted his life to improving affordability and preserving the historical character of Harlem. When asked what it would take for him to move out of Harlem, he paused. After a long silence, he simply said, “I don’t know.”
These are the subjects Wil and Joyous are seeking. There are a few application requirements to be interviewed and photographed by the siblings, but one of them is that participants must have lived in the neighborhood for 30-plus years.
“Cities change — they grow and evolve, and places disappear, but there are people who were here for all that. People who haven’t just lived here, but have helped build Harlem,” Wil said. “I think our intention is to gather those stories before they’re gone.”
In West African culture, there is a long tradition of storytelling and oral history-keeping. Those who told the stories were called griots. Joyous likes to think that “Uptown Voices” will honor that tradition. “Wil calls himself a griot. I like to call myself a griot, as well,” she said. “I don’t like to think of history just sitting in one container. It’s really about keeping the practice of oral history alive.
“We’ve all grown up in different ways. Actually sitting down and creating a space and showing your vulnerability so that someone else can take the time to sit still and reflect on their lives — to not only share just wisdom, but to really think about it and reflect for themselves — is something we don’t often get to do as a collective or intergenerationally.”
As of publication of this article, applications to be included in “Uptown Voices” are still open, and the duo will continue screening and interviewing on a rolling basis. To apply, visit wilpierce.com.