Through The Lens Of L. Kasimu Harris

Source: L.Kasimu Harris / iOne Digital

NewsOne had the unique opportunity to team up with renowned photographer and New Orleans native L. Kasimu Harris for our documentary, 20 Years Later: Hurricane Katrina. The film, hosted by Harris, takes viewers on a journey through two decades of transformation after Hurricane Katrina—seen through the lens of his powerful photo archive.

But Harris’ work is more than just the storm. His true passion lies in telling stories of underrepresented communities in New Orleans and beyond. His photography has appeared in exhibitions across the U.S. and internationally, earning him recognition as one of the most important photojournalists of his generation.

From lkasimuharris.com

His series, Vanishing Black Bars & Lounges, (2018 – present), has been featured in solo exhibitions at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Hilliard Art Museum in Lafayette, Louisiana. Harris’s writing and/or photography on the series has been included in several publications, including Wildsam Field Guides: New Orleans: 2nd Edition, Stranger’s Guide, and most notably for “A Shot Before Last Call: Capturing New Orleans’s Vanishing Black Bars” in The New York Times. He was one of 51 artists selected globally for Prospect.6: The Future Is Present, The Harbinger Is Home, a city-wide triennial in New Orleans, November 2 to February 2, 2025. He debuted work from the series that explores Black bars & lounges from a national and international perspective. Harris is also one of 13 artists tapped for MoMA’s New Photography 2025: Lines of Belonging, and five of his photos were acquired by the museum for their permanent collection.

NewsOne is honored to showcase a small selection of his award-winning photography—sharing a glimpse of true Black excellence through the lens of a visionary.