CHRISTIAN K. LEE @ The San Antonio Center of Photography

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CHRISTIAN K. LEE @ The San Antonio Center of Photography

April 29th, 2022 by fstop

Damillah Lane, 26, is embraced by her daughter Skylar Lane, 8, as she holds her firearm outside her home on Saturday, April 10, 2021, in Killeen, Tx. “Whenever my husband leaves, I feel a need to protect my family,” Damillah said.

CHRISTIAN K. LEE: ARMED DOESN’T MEAN DANGEROUS
May 6 – July 23, 2022

OPENING RECEPTION MAY 6, 2022 | 6-9PM

“In America, Black gun owners are often portrayed negatively. Christian K. Lee set out to change that. Growing up in Chicago, Lee routinely saw negative portrayals of Black Americans with guns. Black men across America who owned handguns were associated with gangs and criminals. This phenomenon made it difficult for him to grasp wanting to own a firearm. But at home, Lee saw a positive, responsible side of firearms ownership. His father was an Army veteran and a police officer.

Armed Doesn’t Mean Dangerous aims to promote a more balanced archive of Black Americans with firearms by showing responsible gun owners — those who use these weapons for sport, hobby, and protection. Many of the subjects Lee photographs are middle-class professionals, which he believes are designations that have allowed them to escape much of the stigma attached to Black gun ownership in America. Lee hopes to dismantle outdated stereotypes that deem being Black and armed as dangerous, threatening, and contrary to what it means to be a law-abiding citizen in the United States. He often wonders if people’s perceptions would change if his subjects lived in different ZIP codes or were photographed in attire stereotypically connected with violence.”

The San Antonio Center of Photography
724 S Alamo St, Ste 3, San Antonio, TX, 78205

Location: San Antonio, Texas Type: Exhibition

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