The Year Thus Far — Photos Of Protest, New Beginnings And Final Goodbyes

Plus, searching for the American Dream along roads named Paradise.

by Jill Hudson Here are a few recent visual stories you may have missed.   Yasmina Hilal for NPR The scale of devastation from the Aug. 4 explosions in Beirut — on buildings, infrastructure and people's livelihoods — is still hard to comprehend. Photographers on the ground captured residents in their destroyed homes and workplaces, and got a glimpse of their experiences in their own words. "Here is lots of destruction, but this is the future," says one of the subjects, engineer Riad al-Assaad, who is trying to rebuild.  Newsletter continues after sponsor message Documenting Identity And Purpose Tara Wray for NPR In the best of times, a healthy portion of the year in rural Vermont requires a type of isolation and self-sufficiency unknown in many parts of the country. The COVID-19 pandemic, on the other hand, presented many hardy Vermonters with a special kind of challenge. Photographer Tara Wray, a Vermont transplant from Kansas by way of New York City, traveled through her community to take portraits — through windows and from a safe distance — of her older neighbors.  Artist and photographer Nadiya Nacorda has been documenting her siblings for nearly a decade. Her new photo book, A Special Kind of Double, features images of her brother Khaya and sister Thandiswa growing up and captures the little moments that mean so much. Inspired by their own journey as a nonbinary person, photographer Salgu Wissmath decided to explore some of the experiences of other trans and nonbinary people. Seasons Of Protest Anastassia Whitty NPR talked to eight Black photographers about their experiences covering protests and demonstrations around the U.S. after the killing of George Floyd in May. Photographing Black Lives Matter protests from Seattle to Washington, D.C., Los Angeles to Houston is about telling "our own history in real time," says Brooklyn, N.Y.-based commercial photographer Mark Clennon, "because our parents, and grandparents never really had a chance to have their voices heard."    Sergei Gapon/AFP via Getty Images Nearly two weeks after an Aug. 9 election kept Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in power amid accusations of vote-rigging, massive daily protests against Lukashenko continue and neither side is backing down. More Picture Show Picks Eliot Dudik Back in 2013, photographer Eliot Dudik set out to find what the American dream really looked like, five years after millions lost their jobs, homes and savings in the 2008 financial crisis. His photo series takes viewers on a journey across the country, from empty grasslands to suburban lawns, focused only on roads named Paradise.  Belgian photographer Harry Gruyaert's book Edges  captures scenes of calm seasides and coastal hues from around the globe. Gruyaert says he strives to discover these "miracle" moments of beauty through his exploration of light and color.   A Final Goodbye Tyrone Turner/WAMU Many people braved July's brutal heat, long lines, and anxiety about the pandemic to pay their last respects to Rep. John Lewis as he lay in state at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Here are portraits of a few of the mourners and their words about what the civil rights leader meant to them.  What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: bestofnpr@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Best of NPR emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy