In 1993-1994 Stephen Chachere created a series of portraits to document and celebrate the communities of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. Stephen wrote: “As a native of Louisiana, I am especially compelled to tell the story and affirm the existence of these proud and resilient people who, through oral accounts, trace their rich cultural heritage of African, Native American, and French ancestry to the late 18th century. Geographically and politically isolated, disenfranchised by a corrupt local power structure, and subjected to the relentless circumstances of rural poverty, they have nonetheless maintained a strong sense of family and community, and of their own uniqueness and worth. In overcoming the particular obstacles of their past and present, the citizens of Happy Jack, Ironton, Diamond and Grand Bayou exemplify qualities which speak to the fortitude and strength of the human spirit.”
