Black rodeo photo project launches Portland ‘8 seconds Juneteenth Rodeo’

Portland photographer Ivan McClellan said the first time he went to a Black rodeo, it made an indelible impression on him. He says, “It was like Black culture combined with Western culture in a way that I never, never could have imagined existed.” That visit sparked his multi-year project of photographs called “8 Seconds,” which became the basis for the creation of a new Portland rodeo, centering the experiences of Black cowboys and cowgirls. Participants from all over the country are expected to converge on the Portland Expo Center on Saturday for the inaugural “8 Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo.” McClelland joins us, along with the first Black Rodeo Queen in Arkansas Ja’Dayia Kursh, crowned in 2017.