HARPER HIGH SCHOOL


In 2012, I photographed the funeral of 16-year-old Shakaki Asphy for WBEZ. Asphy was one of 27 students from Harper High School shot in a single year. At her funeral, Harper Principal Leonetta Sanders talked with Reporter Linda Lutton about what went through her head when she heard this young woman’s life had been cut short. Several months later, This American Life sent Alex Kotlowitz, Ben Calhoun, and Linda to spend several months at Harper High School in Englewood. This American Life devoted two episodes to the school, examining how students and staff are impacted daily by gun violence. I photographed Harper for This American Life. The series won a Peabody Award, as well as honors from the Education Writers Association, Scripps Howard Foundation and Third Coast International Audio Festival. After the series aired, Michelle Obama visited the school to talk with students. My photos were used to promote the episodes on MSNBC, in Entertainment Weekly, and the Chicago Tribune, among many others.

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