Excellence in Photojournalism, Photo Story

Arvin Temkar, “A Homegoing to Remember,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ABOUT THE WORK: Despite sorrowful, solemn and sometimes tragic circumstances, Black funerals are often marked by a spirit of celebration.

A homegoing, as the Black Christian tradition is called, commemorates the return of the deceased to the Lord. “Performance” is the word that best describes the distinctiveness of a homegoing, says Karla Holloway, professor emeritus of English, law and African American studies at Duke University.

Black Americans historically were not afforded respect and dignity in American life, but they could counteract that through elaborate funeral rituals. “Zora Neale Hurston said that Black folk have an urge to adorn,” Holloway says. “The more adornment we can give to the ceremony, the more memorable it is.”

Arvin Temkar is a staff photojournalist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Before he became a photographer he was a newspaper reporter and magazine editor. He is on the board of the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar and the Asian American Journalists Association Atlanta chapter.

Judges’ comments: “It was a story that stood out because image for image it was very compelling. They had a sensitivitiy to everything they were photographing. The images were compelling and powerful and they were also sensitive.”

Honorable Mention: Olivia Falcigno, “Disability Isn’t a Death Sentence: A Vision Beyond Sight,” The Washington Post

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