These powerful portraits of a black family will leave you speechless
This
beautiful family is giving the internet a reminder of American history.
Brittany Mayo’s youngest child was turning 1, and she and her husband
wanted to celebrate this milestone with a family portrait. Mayo had a
specific vision in mind for the location of the photo shoot: a
plantation in her native Louisiana, to pay homage to her ancestors.
Mayo, 29, tells Yahoo Lifestyle: “I
wanted the photos to be used in our home as a conversation starter to
cover those topics that so many of us usually avoid. We have many
friends of other ethnicities, and I wanted the opportunity to educate
and engage in conversation that would normally be deemed uncomfortable
by them.”
She contacted professional photographer Scottie. O.,
who, at just 23, has more than a decade of experience. They came across
the scenery of the photo shoot by accident because their original
planned location was being used by a wedding party.
Scottie O. decided to look around the area and stumbled across Tezcuco,
a plantation that is now in ruins because of a fire in May 2002.
Records show the plantation was built by slave labor starting in 1855.
She
tells Yahoo Lifestyle, “I found this spot and loved how the light fell
on the space. And I really enjoyed that the ruins of the plantation
conveyed a strong sense of overcoming a dark history, as opposed to
operating plantations that tend to idolize the culture of slave owners.”
so, I shot a family session at the remains of a plantation that burned down. here a reminder that we are seeds. let them try to bury us. pic.twitter.com/3AKhpaP4rp— scottie. o. (@scottieo_) August 15, 2017
“I
hope these images inspire people to celebrate the love they have among
family,” says the photographer. “It’s an exhausting political climate
from all sides. It’s important to remember the love we have between our
friends and family is necessary to help us recharge and regroup.”
Viewers
have expressed deep love and admiration for what these
photos represent. And as Scottie O. caption her viral tweet, “I shot a
family session at the remains of a plantation that burned down. Here a
reminder that we are seeds. Let them try to bury us.”
so, I shot a family session at the remains of a plantation that burned down. here a reminder that we are seeds. let them try to bury us. pic.twitter.com/3AKhpaP4rp— scottie. o. (@scottieo_) August 15, 2017
The second picture is what triumph and hope looks like. A happy black family sitting on the gutted shell of a plantation. Beautiful.— Andy (@osoleve) August 16, 2017
Took a horrible past and created something beautiful and strong ❤️ love this— Joshua Werner (@JoshuaFrantic) August 16, 2017
Holy moly. Powerful shots. Amazing work!— Krees! (@cganders) August 17, 2017
Mayo
acknowledges that all feedback has not been positive, but she is happy
that the images are creating a bigger topic of conversation.
“Many
people have asked, ‘How on earth we can even think about stepping foot
on a plantation?'” she says. “I do, simply to revere my ancestors.
Today, when we bury our loved ones, we go back and visit their burial
sites over time. In a sense, plantation visits are the same for me.”
Mayo
adds: “I knew I wanted to ignite more conversation, but I had no idea
it would cause this much of a stir. Our goal was met and then some.”
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