Robert Cain
Claremont McKenna College, Media Studies and Applied Mathematics
When A Black Woman Speaks, You Listen...
I often reflect on the events that transpired throughout the summer months: the emotions of anger, fear, and frustration experienced by members of my community witnessing the lynching of yet another Black man, and the unwavering refusal by the existing state of racial affairs to grant justice to a wrongfully murdered Black woman. To some, these events came as a surprise. To others, these events were a traumatic reminder of the pain and suffering caused by years of oppression. Black people are continuously denied the dignity of authoring their life story, policing the ways in which they are inevitably perceived, received, and ultimately remembered. At this moment, I feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to contribute to the steadily growing vault of positive Black imagery, depicting Black people as beautiful, desirable, and perfectly enough.
As a child, I hated my black skin and often viewed it as something in need of correcting rather than a source of power. In my work, I seek to portray the power of Black bodies by illustrating their beauty and humanity. Photography offers a space to reimagine and rebuild, and I marvel at the possibilities offered by this freedom.
In this body of work, I focus my lens on Black women, electing to convey their beauty through fashion portraiture. I think fashion has the potential to radically question cultural constructions of racialized hate and Black invisibility. In a time when the world is visibly responding to centuries of violence against the Black community, I wanted to provide a space for Black women to be heard, uninterrupted.
Fashion is also a space where I experienced deep insecurity about how I chose to present myself to the world. They said my shorts were too short. They said my pants were too tight. Many years later, my shorts are still short, and my pants remain exceptionally tight. Through fashion and photography, I see a path forward where evolved understandings of Blackness will soon emerge.
These images can be characterized by their adoration of Black women — their strength, wisdom, and resilience. In them, female collaborators return a powerful gaze, demanding attention, dignity, and respect. As a statement, I always try to infuse vibrant colors throughout my images, as I consider color to be an effective conveyor of emotion. Occasionally, I leave my post from behind the camera and transition to be its primary focal point. As a person charged with creating universes through images, I deem it necessary to step in front of the camera in order to understand why it is important for people to be seen in a way that resonates with them. It is this understanding that led me here.
When A Black Woman Speaks, You Listen… is a metaphorical ode — one that professes boundless love for Black Girl Magic. We must listen to Black women while they are still present to speak for themselves. My hope is that I have provided one such occasion. — Classy Cain