Congrats to Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, Arts Politics '20, on her guest essay in the New York Times!

Wednesday, Oct 29, 2025

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn

Laylah Amatullah Barrayn

In her New York Times essay “The Wish to Be Seen,” Laylah Amatullah Barrayn reflects on her return to northern Senegal and the enduring legacy of Omar ibn Said. The piece traces a self-portrait made on the Senegal River and examines how photography and memory work intertwine across histories of place and belonging.

"The Wish to Be Seen" article