Black History Month Lecture with Deborah Willis

This year’s program features Deborah Willis, Ph.D., one of the nation’s leading historians of photography and author of the groundbreaking, “Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to the Present.”

In recognition of the 25th anniversary of “Reflections in Black,” Willis will reveal stories about the photographers and artists whose work reshaped how Black life has been seen, and too often overlooked, in mainstream culture. Her scholarship also connects deeply to Pittsburgh’s own photographic legacy, including the nationally significant work of Charles “Teenie” Harris, whose images of Black life in Pittsburgh stand remain among the most celebrated and influential in American photography.

A MacArthur Genius Fellow and Guggenheim Fellow, Willis serves as professor and chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and directs NYU’s Center for Black Visual Culture/Institute for African American Affairs. Her research explores photography’s multifaceted histories, visual culture, contemporary women photographers, and evolving representations of beauty.

Drawing on her decades of expertise, Willis will explore how photography has captured the depth, creativity, and complexity of the Black experience across generations.

A Q&A book signing will follow the presentation.