Emory Preserves Legendary Photographer's Collection of Black Life in Atlanta

90-year-old Jim Alexander has captured iconic moments and everyday scenes of the Black community in Atlanta for over 50 years.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Documentary photographer Jim Alexander has spent nearly seven decades capturing the icons, art, music, and social justice of Black life in Atlanta. Now 90 years old, Alexander's vast collection of photographs documenting the city's Black community has been preserved by Emory University's Rose Library, which received a $280,000 grant from the Getty Foundation to process and make his work more accessible to the public.

Why it matters

Alexander's photography provides an invaluable visual record of Atlanta's Black history, culture, and community over the past half-century. As one of the few photographers who has consistently documented the everyday lives and experiences of Black Atlantans, his work offers a unique perspective that is often missing from mainstream historical archives.

The details

Alexander, who has taught photography since 1968 and ran a Black arts program at Yale University in the early 1970s, was encouraged to move to Atlanta by former mayor Maynard Jackson, who saw his talent and wanted him to document the city's thriving Black arts scene. Alexander went on to develop close friendships with renowned artists and poets, including Sonia Sanchez, Nikki Giovanni, and Gordon Parks. While Parks initially doubted Alexander's ability to make a living just "running around and shooting whatever," the value of his work has since been widely recognized, leading to Emory's preservation efforts.

  • Alexander has been capturing the Black experience in Atlanta for over 50 years.
  • He started teaching photography in 1968.
  • Emory University's Rose Library received a $280,000 grant from the Getty Foundation in 2026 to process Alexander's collection.

The players

Jim Alexander

A 90-year-old documentary photographer who has captured iconic moments and everyday scenes of Black life in Atlanta for over 50 years.

Maynard Jackson

The first Black mayor of Atlanta and the South, who encouraged Alexander to move to the city and document its thriving Black arts scene.

N'Kosi Oates

The curator of African American Collections at Emory University's Rose Library, who helped facilitate the preservation of Alexander's photography collection.

Gordon Parks

A renowned photographer who was a close friend and colleague of Alexander's.

Sonia Sanchez

A renowned artist and poet who was a close friend and colleague of Alexander's.

Nikki Giovanni

A renowned poet who was a close friend and colleague of Alexander's.

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What they’re saying

“I call myself a participant observer.”

— Jim Alexander (cbsnews.com)

“Maynard Jackson walked by, and he was standing there watching us. He said to me, 'You look like you know what you're doing with that camera.' He said, 'Well, you need to come to Atlanta.' That wasn't a request; that was an order.”

— Jim Alexander (cbsnews.com)

“When Dr. King was assassinated, I said to Gordon, 'They're talking about us free at last, I said I'm going to just document us for 10 years.' Gordon says, 'Well, Jim, sounds like you have a plan, but your ass is going to starve.' He said 'No one is going to pay you to just run around and shoot whatever you're going to shoot.'”

— Jim Alexander (cbsnews.com)

“Since he has been here for over 50 years, he has documented the life, the breath, and the richness of Black Atlanta.”

— N'Kosi Oates, Curator of African American Collections, Emory University (cbsnews.com)

What’s next

Emory University's Rose Library plans to make Alexander's photography collection more accessible to the public through the $280,000 grant from the Getty Foundation, including an oral history interview with the photographer.

The takeaway

Jim Alexander's extensive photography collection provides an invaluable visual record of Atlanta's Black community over the past half-century, offering a unique perspective that is often missing from mainstream historical archives. Emory University's preservation efforts ensure this important work will be available for future generations to learn from and appreciate.