Photo exhibit to highlight five decades of Black history

Famed photojournalist and Natchez, Miss. native Roy Lewis will be presenting his African-American, historical photo exhibit “EVERYWHERE with Roy Lewis,” at the Natchez Museum of African-American History & Culture, beginning July 1 and lasting through August 31, 2016. The exhibit chronicles African-American history over a 50-year period as Lewis traveled the world. This will be the first time Lewis’ work is on display in his hometown.

The photographs span five decades of Lewis’ career as a documentarian and include images of great leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King, President Barack H. Obama, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Muhammad Ali, among others. The exhibition is designed to capture the spirit of culture and experiences that shaped the African-American community. While this is the first time the exhibit will show in Mississippi, it has previously been on display in New Orleans at the Essence Music Festival, at the Du Sable Museum of African American History in Chicago and at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

“This exhibit shows people a new side of history in a way they haven’t previously seen,” Lewis said. “When visitors walk through and see these images, they are going to leave with a better understanding of how African-American culture has evolved. These photos are my diary and the exhibit tells an important story from a one-of-a-kind perspective.”

“EVERYWHERE with Roy Lewis” is free of charge and is open 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

This article originally published in the June 27, 2016 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.