Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate has called out racism in media after she was cropped out of a photo featuring prominent climate activists including Greta Thunberg, Loukina Tille, Luisa Neubauer and Isabelle Axelsson.
Vanessa Nakate is a 23-year-old climate activist from Uganda who this week attended the World Economic Forum in Davos.
On Friday, she took part in a news conference with Greta Thunberg and other activists ahead of a Fridays for Future protest in the Swiss town.
However, she was dismayed to find that in news coverage of the event, she had been cropped out of a photo issued by the Associated Press news agency featuring Thunberg and fellow activists Luisa Neubauer, Isabelle Axelsson, and Loukina Tille. AP later changed the photo that appeared as the thumbnail on Twitter for the story Nakate tweeted.
The group had given a news conference in Davos on Friday when Nakate was then cropped out of a published version by the Associated Press, a US news agency. She questioned the removal on Twitter.
“Why did you remove me from the photo? I was part of the group”, she tweeted in response. Other agencies, including Reuters, misidentified Nakate as Zambian activist Natasha Mwansa. Reuters’ currently available version of the photograph identifies the other four activists in the picture but not Nakate.
Nakate, an activist since 2018, was inspired by Thunberg to start her own climate movement in Uganda and began a solitary strike against inaction on the climate crisis in January 2019.
There has been criticism in the past for the way media coverage has focused on the climate activism of white protesters.
Vanessa Nakate is a 23-year-old climate activist from Uganda who this week attended the World Economic Forum in Davos.
On Friday, she took part in a news conference with Greta Thunberg and other activists ahead of a Fridays for Future protest in the Swiss town.
However, she was dismayed to find that in news coverage of the event, she had been cropped out of a photo issued by the Associated Press news agency featuring Thunberg and fellow activists Luisa Neubauer, Isabelle Axelsson, and Loukina Tille. AP later changed the photo that appeared as the thumbnail on Twitter for the story Nakate tweeted.
The group had given a news conference in Davos on Friday when Nakate was then cropped out of a published version by the Associated Press, a US news agency. She questioned the removal on Twitter.
If you look very carefully, you can see where @AP cropped black climate activist @vanessa_vash out of the photo— Charlene (@CK1london) January 24, 2020
It might surprise some, but black and brown people being affected by the #ClimateEmergency are also helping to find the solutions too#ClimateCrisis pic.twitter.com/LoEzE81g67
“Why did you remove me from the photo? I was part of the group”, she tweeted in response. Other agencies, including Reuters, misidentified Nakate as Zambian activist Natasha Mwansa. Reuters’ currently available version of the photograph identifies the other four activists in the picture but not Nakate.
Share if you can— Vanessa Nakate (@vanessa_vash) January 24, 2020
What it means to be removed from a photo! https://t.co/1dmcbyneYV
Nakate, an activist since 2018, was inspired by Thunberg to start her own climate movement in Uganda and began a solitary strike against inaction on the climate crisis in January 2019.
This is me! Your LONE climate striker from Uganda. I don't choose to be that way but nothing to do about it. I was inspired by @GretaThunberg to start climate strikes in Africa and I am still going. I will introduce something to the climate movement. Hope you like it. Thanks pic.twitter.com/CGipgM1QQd— Vanessa Nakate (@vanessa_vash) September 1, 2019
There has been criticism in the past for the way media coverage has focused on the climate activism of white protesters.
AP later issued a version of the same photo featuring Nakate standing next to the other activists.I’m so sorry they did this to you... you are the last one who would deserve that! We are all so grateful for what you are doing and we all send love and support!!❤️❤️💖💖💖hope to see you soon again!!— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) January 24, 2020
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