Black (and POC) photographers: a list of, and an article about being Black in nature

The Diversity Photo database currently includes approx 130 photographers (of over 600 total) who indicate one of their specialties as Environmental, although the working definition of that term is not given (and I see two conflicting definitions in a quick internet search):

“Diversity Photo has partnered with Haruka Sakaguchi, Allison Zaucha, Kate Warren, Maggie Shannon, Michelle Groskopf, and Samantha Xu in their efforts to compile a database of [B]lack photographers. This is an opportunity to follow photographers to let them shape the narrative of their community. This is also an opportunity for editors, art directors, and collaborators to include and work with [B]lack voices in their work, team, company, or organization.”
— Lilian Vo, associate art director
The On Being Project

On the site’s home page, there’s currently one photog with a landscape-related image. Their own site showcases some striking B/W images:
Johnnie Chatman
New York City
IG: the_space_between (https://instagram.com/the_space_between)
jchatman.photo@gmail.com


I can’t help but think the issues this article examines may significantly reduce the number of Black and POC photographers who might otherwise take to trails and back roads. I’m saddened by the loss of those artists’ contributions.

As an old white guy I’m ashamed of so, so many people of my ethnic background and how they’ve treated people of other races for so long. Hopefully it’s finally beginning to change, but it’s taken far, far too long. Almost 40 years ago I did some work with a group of African American hunters who had been friends since they served together in World War II and had purchased several hundred acres in what otherwise was a lily-white area – I often wondered what other hunters thought when they saw a group of armed black men in the forest. They never said anything about being harassed or having the state police appear, but I can understand why they might not have wanted to relate any incidents to a (then) young white guy.