When the first female Vice-President of the United States Kamala Harris, gave her historic speech at the Black Star Square on March 28, 2023, to scores of young people, she mentioned that digital inclusion, women empowerment, and good governance as key agendas for the U.S.

And perhaps she was already walking the talk when as part of her media pool, Ghanaian photojournalist Misper Apawu was drafted as a member of the press corps.

Misper Apawu whose footage during the three-day visit provided the much-needed local perspective on a global conversation has always been focused on telling impactful stories.

Based in Accra, Apawu strings for the not-for-profit American news agency, AP on a number of editorial projects.

With @ChrisMegerian on assignment for @AP pic.twitter.com/7WCSGDU60k

— Misper Apawu (@misperapawu) March 29, 2023

Her emotional shots of Harris and husband, Second Gentleman, Douglas Emhof, and Tour guide, Kwesi Blankson in the slave dungeons of the famous Cape Coast Castle along with behind-the-scene-footage will remain the relics of this momentous visit.

Harris after the somber tour in a heartfelt speech said, “The horror of what happened here must always be remembered. It cannot be denied. It must be taught. History must be learned.”

The Cape Coast Castle which is labeled as UNESCO World Heritage Site was one of the many fortresses which witnessed the cruel transportation of black people in the Atlantic Slave Trade.

Her Journey

A humble creative at heart, the young woman just like many of her counterparts in the circular economy did not have a headstart in pursuing their passions until later in life.

A profile of Apawu who was announced as a recipient of the $5,000 Doug Pensinger Photography Fund in 2022 described her as a “freelance photographer who graduated from the University of Cape Coast with a BSc in Marketing but later followed her zeal to tell stories with images.”

In the past two years since picking the camera, she has also enrolled in the Canon Student Development Program and Women Photograph Mentorship project to get a better grasp of telling stories.

She is also a proud member of the African women in photography and World Press’s African photojournalism database.

Her Focus

Unlike most people who enjoy attention in the limelight, Misper prefers to be in the background with her camera using her photographs to reveal the similarities and differences in everyone’s world.

Her main focus is telling social issues, particularly with an interest in women, sports, and the environment.

She enjoys telling stories of athletes’ daily lives beyond action images on the field. Her passion for sports photography comes from telling stories about her experiences as a sportswoman before she found photography.

Conclusion

Apawu herself is a minority in every sense of the word as a black woman in a highly dominated male field but she’s poised to deliver and tell the stories that matter.

Kamla Harris’ visit to Ghana might have had some highs and lows but it did unearth another shining Black Star; Misper Apawu