African photojournalist Boniface Mwangi to speak and lead ‘artivism’ workshop

Boniface Mwangi, photojournalist and activist, will speak at Yale on Saturday, Nov. 14 as a Poynter Fellow in Journalism.

During his visit, Mwangi will conduct two events. The first, “React. Contemporary Africa: Boniface Mwangi on Social Justice and Activism,” will take place at 1:30 p.m. in Rm. 351 of Loria Hall, 190 York St. The second, an “artivism” workshop titled “Engage. Contemporary Africa,” will take place 3-5 p.m. in the Digital Media Center for the Arts, 149 York St. Both events are free and open to the public.

As a photojournalist, Mwangi has documented many events, including the violence in Kenya following the 2007 elections, and has been arrested many times for his work in exposing political injustices. He is a two-time recipient of CNN’s Photojournalist of the Year Award, and has established an artists’ collective in Nairobi, Kenya, called PAWA254. “Artivism,” or the intersection activism and art, is PAWA254’s focus,; it offers a workspace for trainings, forums, events, and workshops for artists who are engaged in creating social impact through their work.

The Poynter Fellowship in Journalism was established by Nelson Poynter, who received his master’s degree in 1927 from Yale. The fellowship brings to campus journalists from a wide variety of media outlets who have made significant contributions to their field. Among recent Poynter fellows are Louise Story, James Hamblin, and David Remnick.