Polly Irungu

Last updated
Polly Irungu
Born
Nairobi, Kenya
Education University of Oregon (BA)
Occupation(s) Photographer, journalist
Website www.pollyirungu.com

Polly Irungu is a Kenyan-American photographer and journalist. She founded Black Women Photographers, a global network aimed at promoting and assisting Black women photographers. She is also the official photo editor for the office of US vice president Kamala Harris.

Contents

Early life and education

Irungu was born in Nairobi, Kenya. [1] She moved to the United States at the age of 4, [2] and was raised in both Kansas and Oregon. [3]

Irungu worked at McDonald's in high school, and saved her earnings to buy her first camera. [2] She practiced portrait photography using her brother as her model, and visited sporting events to better learn how to properly photograph fast subjects. [4] Irungu earned her Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Oregon in 2017. [5]

Career

In 2018, Irungu moved to New York City and took a job as a digital content editor at New York Public Radio. [5] [6] While working at WNYC, she continued to pursue freelance photography, selling shots of New York City to clients such as Refinery29 and BBC News. [5]

In response to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Irungu started Black Women Photographers, a "global community and database of Black women and nonbinary photographers". [4] The group currently has more than 1,200 members spanning 50 countries. [7] Black Women Photographers is credited with helping members get jobs with The Washington Post and The New York Times, and also provides classes and grant opportunities. [8] [9]

In 2022, Irungu became the "first official photo editor" for Vice President Kamala Harris, [10] who tasked Irungu with documenting her "campaign's story". [11] She also works as an editor and video producer in the White House Office of Digital Strategy. [1]

Awards and honors

In 2024, Irungu received the Eric Allen Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. [12]

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References

  1. 1 2 Muia, Sylvania (Jul 30, 2022). "Kenyan-born photographer Polly Irungu lands top White House job". Daily Nation . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Fulleylove, Rebecca (August 4, 2021). "Polly Irungu on creating Black Women Photographers". Creative Review . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  3. ↑ Villamizar, Laura Beltran (December 27, 2020). "Founder Of Site Promoting Work Of Black Women Photographers Wants It To Impact Hiring". NPR . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Evans, Erin E. (February 23, 2023). "How Polly Irungu Created Space For Black Women Photographers". HuffPost . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Walsh, Brienne (October 5, 2021). "'Black Women Photographers' Aims to Fill Industry Hiring Gap". RangeFinderOnline.com. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  6. ↑ White, Brooklyn (June 25, 2021). "Polly Irungu Is Helping Black Women Photographers Land Jobs". Essence . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  7. ↑ Ebert, Grace (August 19, 2022). "Black Women Photographers Is a Global Community at the Forefront of a Changing Industry". Colossal . Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  8. ↑ Voynovskaya, Nastia (August 19, 2021). "A Global Network for Black Women Photographers is Changing the Industry". KQED Inc. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  9. ↑ Spike, Carlett (April 21, 2022). "Making space for Black women photographers". Quill . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  10. ↑ Ezra (July 29, 2022). "Polly Irungu: Kenyan Woman Makes History As First Photo Editor At The Office Of US Vice President Kamala Harris". whownskenya. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Polly Irungu: Kenyan Journalist in Kamala Harris' Campaign Team". MSN . 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Polly Irungu '17: 2024 Eric Allen Outstanding Young Alum". University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication . 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
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