Episode 642: In The Seats With....Jennifer Takaki and 'Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story'

In The Seats with...

Documenting history just doesn't 'happen' it takes care and effort.
On this episode we dive head first into a documentary that shows the importance of documenting representation in our world, especially when it's something that hardly happens naturally/ It's time for 'Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story'.
For 50 years, Chinese American photographer Corky Lee documented the celebrations, struggles, and daily lives of Asian American Pacific Islanders with epic focus. Determined to push mainstream media to include AAPI culture in the visual record of American history, Lee produced an astonishing archive of nearly a million compelling photographs. His work takes on new urgency with the alarming rise in anti-Asian attacks during the Covid pandemic. Jennifer Takaki’s intimate portrait reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the man behind the lens.
After a limited theatrical run, and available on your local PBS stations now this is a vital documentary that highlights the struggle to be seen and included in the documentation of a country like America. We had the unique pleasure of talking with director Jennifer Takaki about the impetus to make this movie, the importance of Corky in history and so very much more....