American Photography 36 Winners

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William Widmer

Redux Pictures

When Pollution is Matter of Life and Death

Darren Schnyder, 54, must use a nebulizer to alleviate his chronic respiratory problems. When Pollution is Matter of Life and Death. June 2019. A 2015 report from the Environmental Protection Agency showed that one census tract in St. John Parish, Louisiana had the highest risk of cancer from air pollution in the nation. Why didn’t that mean the government had to act? Photographs made on assignment to illustrate an opinion piece by Sharon Lerner.

The New York Times
William Widmer

Redux Pictures

'They Didn't Burn Down Our Spirit': Louisiana Black Churches Defiant Amid Fires

Crime scene tape surrounds Greater Union Baptist Church near Opelousas, Louisiana after a fire burned the building on April 2, 2019. They Didn't Burn Down Our Spirit: Louisiana Black Churches Defiant Amid Fires. April 2019. As the authorities investigated a series of blazes that destroyed three black churches in rural Louisiana, residents gathered on Sunday with a mix of concern and defiance.

The New York Times
William Widmer

Redux Pictures

'They Didn't Burn Down Our Spirit': Louisiana Black Churches Defiant Amid Fires

Crime scene tape surrounds the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church near Opelousas, Louisiana after a fire burned the building on April 4, 2019. They Didn't Burn Down Our Spirit': Louisiana Black Churches Defiant Amid Fires. April 2019. As the authorities investigated a series of blazes that destroyed three black churches in rural Louisiana, residents gathered on Sunday with a mix of concern and defiance.

The New York Times