Northeastern Illinois University hosts "Echoes of Silence: Portraits of Pain, Reflections of Resilience."

Photography exhibit centers on survivors of the 1972 genocide in Burundi, Africa

CHICAGO, March 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Northeastern Illinois University's Genocide and Human Rights in Africa and the Diaspora (GHRAD) Center is hosting "Echoes of Silence: Portraits of Pain, Reflections of Resilience" through March 23, 2026.

The exhibit features portraits of survivors of the 1972 genocide in Burundi, Africa, as well as other images taken on study trips to Burundi with Northeastern students, faculty and staff between 2023 and 2025. "Echoes of Silence" is free and open to the public. It will be held in the University's Ronald Williams Library on NEIU's Main Campus, 5500 N. St. Louis Ave. in Chicago.

"There has been a deep silence around the 1972 genocide of the Hutu people in Burundi," said Director of the GHRAD Center Jeanine Ntihirageza, Ph.D., who is a survivor of the genocide. "There is such power in seeing the images and hearing the stories of survivors. It is also incredibly moving to work with Northeastern Illinois University students, faculty and staff members to go to Africa, meet with survivors, and truly listen to their stories and let them know they are not forgotten."

Northeastern student Viktor Gerasimovski traveled to Burundi with Dr. Ntihirageza in 2024 and 2025. Gerasimovski used his skills as a photographer in the hopes that people would learn about the survivors.

"'Echoes of Silence' is both an artistic and educational initiative, asking not only what we remember, but how we teach, learn, and lead in the aftermath of collective trauma," Gerasimovski said. "The photographs emphasize color and presence — rejecting erasure and restoring dignity to stories too often left out of formal curricula and public discourse."

This marks the fifth exhibition of 'Echoes of Silence,' following previous presentations in Armenia (2025), the Adler Arts Center, and previous exhibitions at Northeastern and other venues. This exhibition expands the project's scope through a series of learning-centered programming alongside the visual work.

"At Northeastern Illinois University, we prepare students to engage thoughtfully with the world," said President Katrina E. Bell-Jordan. "This exhibition reflects NEIU's commitment to academic inquiry, human rights, and providing our diverse students with meaningful opportunities to learn from global histories and experiences."

Northeastern is home to the only oral history archive at a university devoted to survivors of the 1972 genocide in Burundi, Africa. "Mass Atrocity Testimonies — An Oral History Archive," began in 2023 and continues to grow as University students and employees travel to Burundi and speak with survivors.

"Echoes of Silence" is part of Northeastern's College of Arts and Sciences themed semester, "Staying the Course for Human Rights: From Awareness to Action," which centers on the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights in classes and public programs throughout Spring 2026.

About Northeastern Illinois University

Northeastern Illinois University offers more than 40 undergraduate degree and certificate programs and more than 50 graduate degree, certificate, licensure, and endorsement programs. The Main Campus is located on 67 acres in an attractive residential area on Chicago's Northwest Side. Founded in 1867, Northeastern is a Minority-Serving Institution and the longest-standing four-year public Hispanic-Serving Institution in the Midwest. The University also maintains additional Chicagoland locations, including the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, El Centro, and the University Center of Lake County.  

About the Genocide and Human Rights in Africa and the Diaspora (GHRAD) Center
The Genocide and Human Rights in Africa and the Diaspora (GHRAD) Center at Northeastern Illinois University began in 2013 when Jeanine Ntihirageza, Ph.D., convened like-minded African and African Diaspora members of the Northeastern faculty to examine the phenomenon of genocide in Africa. After intensive discussions, they expanded their geographic reach to include the African Diaspora and held their first symposium, attracting supporters. The group has organized an annual conference each year since then, with the exception of 2017, when the team attended the African Studies Association Conference, which was held in Chicago that year.

SOURCE Northeastern Illinois University