About

We champion Black photographers

We champion Black photographers by amplifying their voices, celebrating their artistry, and advocating for their rightful place within the photographic canon.

Why we do it

Photography is one of the most powerful storytelling tools we have — but for too long, it has been used against us.

From its earliest days, the camera has been wielded to distort, erase and misrepresent Black lives. The dominant image of Black people in photography has too often been one of suffering, otherness, or spectacle — not of humanity, dignity or joy.

We are here to change that.

We see a future where Black photographers are free to create without permission, to tell their stories with truth and complexity, and to be seen on their own terms. A future where they hold space, shape culture, and are afforded the same respect and opportunity too often reserved for others.

Our mission is clear and urgent:
To dismantle the barriers that exclude Black photographers and to shine a light on the depth, beauty and brilliance of their work.

What we do

We honour the past, fight for the present, and shape the future of Black photography.

Our work is rooted in one aim, to ensure Black people are seen truthfully and powerfully through the lens. We celebrate those who photograph with empathy and integrity, and we challenge the systems that silence or sideline them.

This means:

• Uplifting Black photographers at every stage of their journey
• Challenging the structures that deny them access, opportunity and credit
• Creating a space where the full spectrum of Black life can flourish, boldly, unapologetically, and without compromise

We know the weight photography can carry. We also know its power to heal, reveal and reimagine.

That’s the power we choose.

How we do it

Through this platform, our monthly newsletter, and our social channels, we amplify the work and voices of Black photographers worldwide. We ensure their stories are seen, heard, and remembered.

Our principles guide everything we do:

• We spotlight work that honours the humanity of Black people, not imagery that exploits pain for clicks or spectacle.
  Harmful content — NSFBC (Not Safe for Black People & Culture) — belongs only in educational or critical spaces, not in celebration, competitions, or news stories.
• We advocate for equity and access, challenging the gatekeeping that limits Black creativity and perpetuates a colonial gaze.
• We champion freedom, the right to explore, experiment, and create without systemic bias or imposed narrative.

Photography should not confine our stories.

It should set them free.

Who we are

We are more than interviewers, collectors, researchers, photographers and archivists.

We are witnesses.
We are protectors.
We are keepers of a creative flame that refuses to be extinguished.

We centre the voices and work of Black photographers, photojournalists and visual storytellers whose contributions are rooted in authenticity, innovation, and community.

They don’t just deserve recognition.
They demand it.

We do this work because it must be done. Because Black photographers are not just participants in the photographic world, they are vital to it. Through their lens, we learn what it truly means to see, and to be seen.

And in that moment, we are changed.

Add your voice

theBLKGZE is a space for shared insight, creative resistance and collective imagination. We invite Black photographers to join us, to contribute stories, images and perspective that push the boundaries of how we see and who gets to be seen.

Read our manifesto

theBLKGZE is more than a perspective, it’s a commitment.

To seeing fully.
To feeling deeply.
To framing truth on our own terms.

Our manifesto is a declaration of vision, purpose and power.

Read it. Share it. Carry it with you.