A sense of self and self-worth': Deborah Willis on the importance of Black photography

"Where are all the Black photographers?"

"I wanted to be a photographer, she says."

"Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers: 1840 to the Present"

Deborah Willis began questioning the visibility of Black photographers while an undergraduate at the Philadelphia College of Art. Early influences included an amateur-photographer father, a cousin's photo studio, and the book The Sweet Flypaper of Life by Langston Hughes and Roy DeCarava, which inspired her to become an image-maker. Willis compiled about 300 names and works for an undergraduate paper and later partnered with publisher Richard Newman to create Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers: 1840 to the Present. The book centers everyday Black life, reframes the American visual narrative, and led to a renewed edition and a curated exhibition in New York. Willis serves as a professor and chair of photography and imaging at New York University and directs programs in Black visual culture.

Read at www.theguardian.com