Reclaiming the American narrative is my mission as a photographer. I am not only a first generation immigrant, but my parents decided to move us to the deep South when we came to America. I left the South soon after college only to realize how much of the culture I consider my own. Not to mention the fact that where my family is from in Brazil is the equivalent of the Deep South in America, culturally and visually. As a photographer, I am interested most in finding people who accurately represent American culture. It is imperative that POC take ownership of how POC are represented in the media. While searching for accurate history of the American South, I learned that Black cowboys were pioneers in traveling and settling the American West. Traditional history is deliberate in excluding them from the American narrative. The Cowgirls of Color are an all-black cowgirl group based in Maryland who are determined to reclaim this heritage. They spend most of the year practicing and competing in rodeos across the country. I met them on Ray’s property this month to shoot the shit and photograph them. Ray is their trainer and one of the most interesting men that I have met in a long time. – June Canedo See the full shoot here: http://dismagazine.com/discussion/85119/cowgirls-of-color/
