Feb 22

Feb 22 Black History Month: Chris Facey

Words and Images by Chris Facey

Photo Edited by Kelly Woodyard

Originally making this work came from a place of nostalgia. Seeing these young girls jump rope reminded me of my childhood. It was a reminder of a less stressful time. However, as I kept making the work it became clear that this is more than just fun and games, that these young ladies are bonding and learning about working together. They were learning how to overcome problems as a team.

Being a father of girls, it's sometimes hard to understand what they are going through in today's world. I noticed that sometimes younger kids of today aren't as social or communicative and I saw how jump rope not only changed that for these girls on the jump rope teams but also I seen how it helped my daughter find some confidence.

From her being nervous to jump and turn to her talking with other girls about their favorite movies, videos, or hairstyles. She found friendship. She had some other young black girls to navigate black girlhood together. That was a beautiful thing to see and something I wanted to share.