Before January 20, 2025, when Donald Trump was sworn in as US President, Kenyan-born photographer, Polly Irungu, enjoyed perks and privileges serving as the Official Photo Editor for former Vice President Kamala Harris and White House Photographer.
Irungu was among a group of black women who worked at the highest levels of government, shaping policy, driving meaningful change and serving the nation in very critical roles.
Everything was captured through Irungu’s lenses showing the world her invaluable contribution to the US democracy under former President Joe Biden.
However, after Kamala and Biden exited office, Polly Irungu who was born in Kenya and moved to the US at the age of four, embarked on a new mission of giving budding photographers a platform and incentives to break barriers.
Black Women Photographers
A series of social media posts revealed Polly Irungu was actively running Black Women Photographers, a global community, directory, and hub of over 2,100 Black and African creatives, spanning over 60 countries and 35 US states.
Irungu founded Black Women Photographers in July 2020 to help photographers who were in dire need of financial relief with an initial capital of Ksh1.8 million (USD 14,500).
Before joining the White House, Polly Irungu helped several photographers across the globe with some of his beneficiaries coming from Africa including Nigeria (Grace Ekpu- a documentary photographer and filmmaker who was awarded a Ksh1.2 million grant).
The company has remitted over Ksh23.9 million in the form of grants to photographers since its launch in July 2020.
Early life struggles
However, Irungu’s story was not all flowery. Before starting the programme, Irungu worked at a fast food joint where she saved the money to buy her first camera.
The former Official Photo Editor for former Vice President Kamala was at one point compelled to sell the camera due to medical bills and started an online fundraiser campaign.
“When I started my photography journey, I bought my first camera after working at McDonald’s. After a couple of years, I had to sell my gear for medical bills. I made a GoFundMe and only raised $220, which mostly came from my mom,” Irungu stated.
Opens grants application
Driven by determination, Polly Irungu’s Black Women Photographers is a recognised programme with big brands such as Nikon jumping on board.
In February 2025, Irungu announced more grants to budding photographers. Through a series of statements shared on her social media pages, she called on those in need of assistance to grab the opportunities.
Successful applicants will receive up to Ksh1.2 million. The collective will also offer free educational resources such as regular programming of webinars, workshops, trainings, meet-ups, and portfolio reviews.
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