Honoring 8 Respected Photographers for Black History Month

Netflix’s 6-part digital series “Strong Black Lens,” released earlier this year, perfectly captures the importance of Black photographers telling their own stories, controlling narratives and leaving legacies. Through interviews and roundtable discussions with prominent Black photographers such as Kwaku Alston, Dana Scruggs Erik Carter and Devin Allen – this show covers everything from mental health struggles to how Black photographers are participating in social justice movements as well as implications of good (or historically poor) lighting for subjects with darker skin tones.

As I interviewed each photographer in this series, I was consistently struck by their candor and thoughtfulness when discussing sensitive subjects and personal experiences within their industry.

Once feeling inspired, I took to Instagram and started following some of my favorite photographers to witness how they used Black History Month to advance their photographic power.

Check out which images caught my eye below, then take some time to reflect or read up on the history of racism in photography. While much has changed – Shirley Cards have long since been replaced by Black Women Photographers and The Authority Collective supporting diverse voices; while tech giants like Google are exploring better solutions like Real Tone technology – there remains much work to do before racism in this industry is effectively addressed.

Cover image created by Aundre Larrow; all Instagram posts and photos embedded were done so with their consent.