By Elizabeth Howard

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Episode Summary

South African photojournalists Sumaya Hisham and Eric Miller talk with Elizabeth Howard about documenting and celebrating, through their photographs, the life and work of the late Archbishop and Noble Peace Prize Laureate, Desmond Tutu, who, with Nelson Mandela, led the struggle against Apartheid. They describe their lasting friendship with the man they affectionately refer to as “the Arch.” He would say to us, they recall, “If it wasn’t for the photographers and journalists during the Apartheid period they would say we were lying.” Desmond Tutu: Then and Now was recently on view in galleries at the South African Cultural Center in New York.

Episode Notes

Sumaya Hisham is a freelance photojournalist based in Cape Town. She is passionate about capturing images of people in their daily lives. She covers news and cultural events for a variety of clients, including news agencies such as Reuters, the European Press Photo Agency, and Getty Images. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, LA Times, Times UK, Irish Times, The Guardian, and Newsweek. She works with the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation to continue to share his legacy of compassion, forgiveness and resolving conflict through peaceful means.

Eric Miller is a documentary photographer who has worked in South Africa and across Africa. He began his career during the struggle against Apartheid in the ’80’s, working during that period for the progressive photo collective Afrapix, documenting Apartheid’s oppression. In the post-Apartheid period, he has worked across Africa on assignment for many publications in North America and Europe and has been widely published in publications ranging from Time and Newsweek to newspapers including the New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, among many others.

The hymn heard at the end of the conversation is “Thato ya hao” We are told it was Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s favorite. You can find a video featuring the Imilonji Kantu Choral Society here.

Elizabeth Howard is the host and the producer of the Short Fuse Podcast. For her, there are no barriers between her life, work, art, and writing. She seeks collaboration, flexibility, spontaneity and responsiveness in the projects she designs and completes. As the host of the Short Fuse podcast she draws individuals into lively and provocative conversations around the arts: dance, theater, literature, music, and film.

Alex Waters is a media producer and editor for the Short Fuse Podcast, a music producer, and Berklee College of Music student. He has written and produced music and edited for podcasts such as The Faith and Chai Podcast and Con Confianza. He produces his own, as well as writes music and records for independent artists such as The Living. Alex lives in Brooklyn. You can reach him with inquiries by emailing alexwatersmusic12@gmail.com.

The Short Fuse Podcast is produced by the Arts Fuse. Email: theshortfusepodcast@gmail.com

The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 60 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts.