Just over a month ago, obviously, I photographed the People’s Joy Parade and the Cinco de Mayo celebration on Cherokee Street in south Saint Louis. As with any other festival, a ton of work goes into the event and dozens of people work long hours to make sure everything goes well. It is great for me, then, to be invited to photograph the event and tell the visual story of the day.
Cherokee and south Saint Louis City are similar to many other small communities within large metropolitan areas. It is diverse, culturally rich and colorful area with a lot of people trying hard to always be improving. Also like many other communities, there is the occasional tragedy and for that, sometimes a bad reputation is what follows. But the people are resilient and dedicated to making the place they live better. The parade and festival in these photographs are a testament to that dedication.
Cinco de Mayo, 2013
I am hoping to be invited back next year which I know will be better than the last.
Cheers,