Kenyan photojournalist Boniface Mwangi used his work to frame a discussion on activism and race relations in the Friedl Building Wednesday.
Mwangi's photographs depict the 2007 post-election violence in Kenya, which resulted in approximately 1,000 casualties and more than a quarter of a million people displaced. Mwangi, a native Kenyan working as a photographer at the time, became involved in activism following the crisis—participating in street exhibitions and encouraging youth activism. The Wednesday reception for his photography exhibit kicked off with a speech from Mwangi, followed by a Q&A with attendees.
“For a photojournalist, you freeze the moment that is truthful,” Mwangi said. “So my goal is to [ask] ‘How can I tell stories with these pictures?’”
Following the elections in 2007, Mwangi quit his job as a photographer for a Kenyan newspaper and began organizing. Two years later, he was arrested for protesting at a presidential event.
“What bothered me was that because there were winners, there must have been losers,” he said. “But as a country and as a photographer working for a newspaper, we never discussed the cost of the violence…. And that bothered me.”
In addition to exhibiting his work in the Friedl Building's Jameson Gallery, Mwangi came to campus to speak to students about American civic engagement, said exhibit host Kathryn Mathers, visiting assistant professor of international comparative studies.
Mwangi is the protagonist of FRAMED, an upcoming documentary film that is co-produced by Mathers.
In his speech, Mwangi addressed racial dynamics in the U.S., as well as problems in Kenya and other African nations—touching on the election of Barack Obama as the first black president, the recent racial tensions in Ferguson, Mo. and persistent racial inequalities.
“There is this very clear divide—you may go to class together [with someone] and live in completely different worlds,” Mwangi said.
He encouraged the students in attendance to act toward solving problems they see around them—adding that it is not necessary to go abroad to aid poor communities.
“People spend a lot of time wondering what will happen if they do something,” he said. “Why don’t you just do it? Then you’ll know what happens.”
The exhibition was funded by the Duke Africa Initiative and hosted by the international comparative studies program. Approximately fifty people, a mixture of Duke students and local residents, were in attendance.
“I think it’s a fantastic and jarring exhibition, and it’s great to see Africa portrayed in such an academic light, instead of the usual, say, kids with flies,” said Mary Paul, a Chapel Hill resident. “I wish we could see more of this.”
An earlier version of this article said the event was hosted and funded by the Duke Africa initiative. While the event was funded by the initiative, it was hosted by the international comparative studies department.The Chronicle regrets the error.
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