Rosie the Riveter is an iconic female figure. J. Howard Miller’s poster has had a tremendous impact on women all over the nation. It serves as an image to remind women the world that women are capable of tasking anything men in the workforce can do. Originally the poster served as propaganda, part of a campaign aimed to recruit female workers during World War II. Women were needed in industrial workspaces, fulfilling jobs of men, while they were fighting away in the war. “Rosie” was modeled after Naomi Parker Fraley, who was working in a machine shop at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, California, when a photographer snapped a shot of her on the job.
Rosie’s iconic “We Can Do It” slogan inspired my body of work titled: “2 Strikes”. The focus here is on black women in the United States, whom from the time they draw their first breath, are faced with a world, filled with adversity, even with their first encounter of the economically disadvantaged poorer health care, which is a documented disparity that leads to shortened life spans by increased illnesses. By simply being a black person, it is widely documented that, one still faces many more hardships in society in comparison to their neighbors who identify themselves as white. Challenges such as; discrimination and hatred because of standards of European beauty, inequality in employment, and racism in politics. Thus, the first strike for black women, is being born and identified as black.
It is widely documented, that black women face greater obstacles than black men simply because they are women.Black women are again, born into a society faced with a plethora of unjust social constructions implemented by the ancient vestiges of usurped separation and supremacy. Hence, the second strike for the black woman, is being identified as a black woman.And essentially, that’s two strikes before she’s even up to bat.
The images in this collection are intended to showcase an ever present, fervent survival strength along with the failed consignment of the thematic beauty in and of the black woman, regardless of where they are in their personal journey.
Similarly to J. Howard Miller’s poster, the heavy saturated and vivid colors create a cartoon-like feel. Overall, this project aims to serve as a vision of empowerment, encouragement and even more importantly, the images are intended to promote self-love in the black community. The models are positioned in subtle, yet simple ways in the frame, telling their own unique story.
