The Year In Photos: Part Two

By John Partipilo, Karen Pulfer Focht and Holly McCall, Tennessee Lookout

December 30, 2021

In our second gallery of photographs that defined 2020, we share works by photojournalists John Partipilo and Karen Pulfer Focht on topics including the environment, families with special needs children and immigration issues. While 2021 wasn’t characterized by the same type of demonstrations that marked 2020, the year nonetheless had its share of demonstrations by immigrants — including Afghan residents — rallying for the U.S. government to both protect Afghans who helped the U.S. military during a two-decade long war that ended and to press Afghanistan on human rights issues.

The Lookout stepped up our coverage of environmental issues, as Black Memphians fought to keep an oil pipeline out of their neighborhoods and in Middle Tennesseans, hikers, campers and hunters pushed back on a state plan to sell off a wooded recreational area to create a quail habitat. And devastating tornadoes in West Tennessee and Kentucky, just over the state line, took Partipilo to two of the hardest hit towns to talk with residents and document the damage.

To see the whole story, including photos, click here.

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