When Maya Angelou passed away on On May 28, 2014, there was article published about her in The New York Times. It was titled, "Maya Angelou, Lyrical Witness of the Jim Crow South, Dies at 86." One of the photos of Angelou featured in the article stands out, and it's taken by Chester Higgins Jr.
In 1969, Angelou had just published her groundbreaking memoir "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Higgins photographed her with the same respect and honesty he brought to all his work. He showed her clearly and honestly.
Higgins was born in Fairhope, Alabama in 1946 and grew up during segregation in New Brockton, Alabama. From an early age, his parents taught him to value himself and respect others. In the late 1960s, he attended Tuskegee Institute, which is now called Tuskegee University. He majored in business management with a minor in sociology, according to Zeke Magazine.
That was where he met a photographer named Prentice Herman Polk, or P. H. Polk. From 1967 to 1969, Higgins studied under Polk at Tuskegee Institute. Polk was known for taking pictures of Black people in a fair and respectful way at a time when the world often did the opposite.
Polk was instrumental in shaping Higgins' career. As Tuskegee Institute's official photographer, Polk had documented historic figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Jackie Robinson, and he passed that discipline and respect for Black subjects on to Higgins. Polk taught Higgins how important it was to show people with dignity. That one lesson shaped everything Higgins would do with a camera.
After graduating from Tuskegee Institute in 1970, Higgins kept practicing photography. He took his camera into communities where people were not always treated fairly. He wanted to show their strength and their character. He noticed that old photographs of African Americans often left out what he called "decency, dignity and virtuous character," according to a 2022 interview with Our Time Press. He wanted his work to restore those qualities. He wanted people to see themselves in a positive and honest light.
His career took a major step when he joined The New York Times as a staff photographer. From 1975 to 2014, Higgins captured everyday life, leaders, artists, families, and communities. His work focused on real people living real lives.
"I picked up the camera out of love for my family. I did not have a long term plan with the camera. But what changed that is the civil rights movement," Higgins said in a 2022 interview with NPR.
Since 1971, Higgins has traveled to Africa every year as a way to meditate, disconnect and examine his life, according to The New York Times. He recorded traditions, cultures, and spiritual practices that were often misunderstood or ignored by mainstream media. His photos helped people in the United States see a fuller picture of African life. They were not images of stereotypes. They were images of real people with real lives.
Photographs by Higgins have been exhibited in major museums all over the world, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Smithsonian Institution. His images have appeared in books, classrooms, documentaries, and leading publications. Many people who may not know his name have still seen his work. Higgins has photographed influential figures such as Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, and Duke Ellington.
On November 4, 2022, Higgins was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame, an honor few photographers ever receive and one that shows his impact on the world.
When you look at Higgins' work, one thing becomes clear. He understood that photographs can shape how people think, and he used his camera to help balance the record. Today, his photographs are represented by the Bruce Silverstein Gallery, which preserves and shares his work so people around the world can keep seeing the humanity he spent a lifetime honoring.
Higgins has also published a book called The Sacred Nile, which took him 50 years to complete. It brings together his photographs and the lessons he learned from many years of traveling through Africa.
