Concrete Horsemen
African American contributions to horse culture have often been forgotten in the US (13 out of 15 jockeys in the first Kentucky derby in 1875 were African American) but throughout the country there have been African Americans keeping and breeding horses for the past few centuries. Philadelphia is no exception, for over a hundred years there has been a lineage of black urban horsemen in Philadelphia. In North Philadelphia, which has a 97% African American population where over 50%, live below the poverty line, there is a stable where horses are kept and ridden on the streets by a group of urban horsemen. The small community of horsemen is a family where boys & men come to bond over their love of horses while also creating a safe space for young people. The series aims to challenge the erasure of black history perpetuated by the white establishment in the US as well as common stereotypes over race and class in a time where they are such heated topics of debate.
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African American contributions to horse culture have often been forgotten in the US (13 out of 15 jockeys in the first Kentucky derby in 1875 were African American) but throughout the country there have been African Americans keeping and breeding horses for the past few centuries. Philadelphia is no exception, for over a hundred years there has been a lineage of black urban horsemen in Philadelphia. In North Philadelphia, which has a 97% African American population where over 50%, live below the poverty line, there is a stable where horses are kept and ridden on the streets by a group of urban horsemen. The small community of horsemen is a family where boys & men come to bond over their love of horses while also creating a safe space for young people. The series aims to challenge the erasure of black history perpetuated by the white establishment in the US as well as common stereotypes over race and class in a time where they are such heated topics of debate.
Images »