Through my camera lens, I have seen so many beautiful lives.
Young and old. Classic and modern. Shy and bold.
Joy and grief filled. Laughter and tear spilled.
I am thankful for what they share with me.
Sometimes, I see lives change. Entire families changed. So much can happen in one generation.
In 1969, my dad was a student in Montgomery, Alabama at Sidney Lanier High School. That was when his school was desegregated. Just one generation before me.
The very next year, Farrell Duncombe became his band director in the first wave of Black teachers brought in. My dad has said “The band room was the one place where we all got along. The music brought us together.” And my dad went on to a life of professional musicianship – impacted by Duncombe.
Duncombe went on to become the state’s first Black principal. And then to become a community leader and pastor.
When my dad retired, he went looking back through parts of his history and found out who had impacted his old band director. He is quoted as saying ‘Miss Rosalie, my Sunday School teacher.'
His 'Miss Rosalie' is THE Rosa Parks. The mother of the Civil Rights movement.
My Dad was impacted directly by a man directly impacted by Rosa Parks. That alone is awesome!
But how our family tree has changed is inspiring, too. My dad’s family was white. My mom’s family was white. They had 5 white kids.
But today, just one generation later, they have 11 grandkids and 4 of them are people of color. Almost half. Some through adoption, and some natural born, one Black, one Latino, two mixed. All beautiful. All loved. All FAMILY.
That high schooler back in 1969 could never have imagined what his future would look like. Just one generation after witnessing desegregation, he has a gorgeous and diverse set of grandchildren that he loves unconditionally.
What a beautiful change. I've been blessed to see it through my lens.
I would love to see your family through my lens this year. Whatever your story! However your family has grown, changed, shrunk, shifted, added or lost. Imagine what it will look like just one more generation from now.
Let’s make sure they can look back and see how you loved each other. Schedule your fall family portraits now, and enjoy them for generations to come!
With love,
Kat
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