Back in August, I got an email from The Guardian asking if I'd be interested in making photos of Congresswoman-elect Cori Bush. If you don't know who Cori Bush is, I would assume that you either don't live in St. Louis, don't follow Missouri progressive politics or you haven't seen the amazing Netflix doc Knock down the House!
This past summer, the congresswoman-elect defeated 10-term incumbent Lacy Clay in the Democratic primary, ending a 50-year political dynasty for the Clay family. Her primary win paved the way for her to become Missouri's first Black congresswoman. But her incredible story starts way before her historic win. Cori is a single mother, registered nurse, pastor, and civil rights activist who was on the front lines during the 2015 Mike Brown protests in Ferguson, MO.
I photographed Cori just a few days after her historic win, as she was in the midst of countless interviews and write-ups from CNN, MSNBC, local news stations, etc. It was also the sixth anniversary of Mike Brown's death, an emotional and difficult day for her, the Ferguson community, and communities throughout St. Louis. I had about an hour to photograph her in two locations, which quickly shrank to 30 minutes as interviews ran over time. The emotional significance of the day was also weighing on her, so I had to be efficient with our time while also allowing space for the gravity of the moment.
So we quickly shot some portraits at her campaign headquarters, then dashed to an outdoor location I had scouted earlier that day. Shoots like these are always a bit hectic, but lots of preparation and good communication is key. Thankfully, her staff was flexible and understood the importance of the images and the story. Cori was incredibly gracious with her time and energy, and despite the circumstances, was just wonderful to photograph. It’s difficult to put into words how honored I was to photograph someone I look up to so much. To me, Cori is much more than another political figure. She’s a person who has been through hardships and difficult circumstances, only to rise up and take an active step in changing the system that set her and so many other Black folks up for failure. I'm so proud to have a Black woman representing us in congress and I can't wait to see what she does next.
Oh and a big shout out to my assistant that day! It’s not often I can convince my wife, Kara, to assist me on shoots, but this was a special one :)
