Like any other year, 2023 had its ups and downs.
There were moments of joy, such as the opening day of the State Fair of Texas and the sheer happiness of the Texas Rangers winning their first World Series championship.
There were also extreme lows, like the mass shooting at the Allen Premium Mall.
KERA's photographers captured the stories that propelled our community and tell the story of 2023.
Jaylan Ford found his groove while dancing to promote local shops on South Cooper Street in Arlington. His more than 15,000 Instagram followers took notice when he took a break from dancing. He was back soon after.

Becky Hines is a certified professional midwife who works in the Dallas area. She assisted Jessica Gamboa at a home birth of her son. The two shared their incredible trust and friendship during the process.
Daphne Rio is passionate about drag as an art form that’s a mix of costuming, makeup, drama, comedy. Lawmakers in the Texas Legislature have recently proposed bills regulating drag shows and performers are worried they can lose everything.
On May 6 a gunman opened fire at the Allen Premium Mall with an AR-15 style assault rifle aimed at people on the sidewalk. Seven people died at the scene, officials said, while two died at the hospital. Seven more were injured.
Santos Rodriguez was a 12-year-old boy shot and killed by a Dallas police officer 50 years ago. Dallas residents turned out Sunday, July 24, for a commemoration with a march that began at Pike Park near downtown Dallas.


On Nov. 1, the Texas Rangers made history.
The team beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games, with a decisive 5-0 shutout to become the World Series champions in the first time in franchise history.

Finda Koroma has lived in her spacious brick four-bedroom home in Mesquite since 2005. But now, she’s facing eviction after her homeowner’s association board — some of her neighbors — voted to foreclose on her house and sold it to recoup a $3,542.64 debt.