In 2024, as the Presidential race has continued to escalate, the rhetoric around gay couples, and more recently around women's reproductive rights has escalated. A new 'conservative' proposition has already been put into place if the Republican Party wins the upcoming election: titled Project 2025. In part several of its proposals would roll back anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people - thereby placing couples such as this in more danger.

It seems that no matter how much America evolves, leaving behind many of its traditions in the wake, baseball and softball leagues still remain as prominent as ever.

The most recent banning of books to enter the spotlight has created an outpouring of concerns by many Americans. Book stores, and even many libraries have responded by 'featuring' Banned Books.

The most recent banning of books to enter the spotlight has created an outpouring of concerns by many Americans. Book stores, and even many libraries have responded by 'featuring' Banned Books.

In an era when the Juke Joint was nearly lost to history, Miss Zeke is reviving the legendary establishments, and people are responding as they always have - by flooding in to experience the energy that has always been indicative of such venues.

The rural town of Chapel Hill, Tennessee is the birthplace of Nathan Bedford Forrest. In the heart of the town, along Highway 31A, is a monument at the place of his birth.

There is still much controversy around the honoring of Forrest. He was one of the four most prolific slave traders in the U.S., having traded more than 1,000 slaves out of Memphis, Tennessee.

The intensity of this year's Presidential race , especially by those who support Donald Trump, in his bid for re-election, grows with each passing day. In this image a Trump flag is flown on a fence rail along State Highway 99 in Chapel Hill, Tennessee.

Extreme contentiousness has become a part of our social fabric.

The significance of this sign, (photographed on September 15, 2024) is that it is touting the 2020 Presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, four years after the fact.

It was this Presidential race that Donald Trump continued to deny Joe Biden’s win. It was also the denial of the results, in this Presidential race, that led to the insurrection on January 6, 2021 of the United States Capitol Building.

During the recent presidential debate, between Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, Donald Trump (when asked directly) still refused to acknowledge his loss in 2020.

In the more recent Vice Presidential Debate, between Senator Vance and Governor Walz, when asked directly if he believed that Donald Trump lost the election in 2020, J.D. Vance side-stepped the question and refused to answer it.

I was not able to find the person who erected this sign, so that I could ask them if they too were still claiming that the 2020 Presidential election was won by Donald Trump; but to see it displayed during the height of the 2024 campaign, with former President Donald Trump running again, I had to wonder.

With many or the churches preaching in favor of Donald Trump, in his run for re-election as President of the United States, I found this sign to be more inline with the teachings of their faith.

I also found it interesting for the fact that this church is located in the heart of Trump territory, as evidenced by the previous photograph which was made no more than fifty yards away.

For me this scene spoke volumes regarding the current state of affairs in the United States. In many ways we have fallen into a darkness, with a pending storm on the horizon; yet a light - albeit not nearly as vibrant as it once was, still illuminates what this country once stood for - unanimously. It was the glue that bound us together.

Busking is still a prominent sight in Nashville, Tennessee. Here a young busker stands on a corner in Franklin, Tennessee playing his violin for change.

Earlier today I was photographing in the Tent City, here in Nashville. I was asked to document the sections of the encampment that are being slated to be bulldozed.

While there I entered into a conversation with these two gentlemen: Red, who is on the motorcycle, and Peckerwood, who is holding the flag.

Peckerwood talked to me a great length regarding the need for mental health intervention - especially within the homeless population - and admitted that he is a product of the need for mental institutions.

Rebel was working on his Harley Davidson when I arrived at his encampment within Tent City. He was preparing it for a road trip out west, he told me, and was planning on leaving in a day or two.

As the political rhetoric grows, as we make our way through the months of 2024, there seems to be more and more rhetoric about the importance of family, and the Christian faith.

Yet, more and more, I see a continuing emptiness of the family within our society.

This empty picture frame spoke volumes to me; situated prominently on the end table near the living room sofa - yet the frame contained no photograph.. only the words.

Two days every week, William sets up his stand along State Highway 96 on the outskirts of Franklin, Tennessee. It features two items you wouldn’t typically associate with one another—honey and ammunition. I was drawn in by this curious pairing.

William talked for nearly half an hour. "I’m retired law enforcement," he shared, mentioning also that his grandmother was a Hatfield - from the notorious Hatfield and McCoy feud.

The idea for this stand came to him on a “hunt” in Waco, Texas with Ted Nugent. "On one side of the street," he explained, "vendors were selling crafts, soaps, honey, and the like. On the other side of the street, it was all guns and ammo." 

“I’ve had plenty of offers to buy guns; but I have no way of knowing the history that that gun: was it stolen? Was it used in a crime?

This is not a judgement in any way, but rather an astute observation of our society.

It seems that over the past decade there has been an escalation in the promotion of guns and ammunition; but this escalation has increased significantly over the past 12 months - at least here in the south where I am able to bear witness to it.

Over the past few months, especially since Kamala Harris declared her run for the Presidency of the United States, there has been an escalation in ‘products’ being sold by former President, and current Presidential candidate, Donald Trump.

While driving along Interstate 24 I saw this billboard advertising a store devoted to all of his political items.

This seemed quite relevant for this project because it is the first time - in my long lifetime, that I have seen such marketing for someone seeking the highest office of this country; and because of this I believe that this image will hold a significance for future generations to observe when looking back on this period of this Nation’s history.

This billboard overlooks Interstate 24 as it passes through Monteagle, Tennessee.

There is great significance to the content of this billboard, in that it has been a predominant rally cry for Presidential candidate Donald Trump, as well as his supporters.

It is also of great significance because it blatantly reinforces a messages that is based on proven lies - deeming these statements as completely false.

Each election cycle - regardless of the office, has aways had its misrepresentations of the true facts, but this election cycle has been frocked with literally hundreds of statements that have been proven - time and time again, to be completely void of any factual truths.

It seems that as a society this has become “the acceptable norm”. It is chalked up by many supporters as “entertainment”.

According to the CATO Institute, in a report dated November 2, 2023, “In absolute terms, the Biden DHS is removing 3.5 times as many people per month as the Trump DHS did. These figures are important for understanding how each administration has carried out border enforcement.”

“Under Biden, DHS made over 5 million arrests in its first 26.3 months, and it removed nearly 2.6 million—51 percent—while releasing only 49 percent. In other words, the Trump DHS removed a minority of those arrested while the Biden DHS removed a majority. Biden managed to increase the removal share while also increasing the total removals by a factor of 3.5.”

This nondescript building, located near Monteagle, Tennessee, was - for 30 years, was one of the few schools “committed to the cause of organized labor, economic justice. and an end to racial segregation.”

“Courses included labor issues, literacy, leadership, and non-violent desegregation strategies, with workshops led by Septima Clark.”

The Reverend Martin Luther King, and Elenor Roosevelt found inspiration in this school. Rosa Parks was taught non-violent protesting here, in preparation for her historic taking the seat on the bus.

Following a trial in 1959 - 1960, by the State of Tennessee, the school’s charter was revoked

In a 1979 Ford Foundation Report, Highlander was singled out as the most notable American experiment in adult education for social change.

Since the run up to the 2016 election, the Christian Right has been exercising its power and influence in each of the election cycles. This influence has reached a crescendo during the most recent Presidential Race here in the United States.

In recent months there has been another crescendo brewing; that of the non Christian Right fighting to reclaim Christianity , and return it to its original foundation: the teachings of Jesus.

Over the past few decades there has been - increasingly, a strong right-wing movement to have America become a “Christian Nation”.

With the outcome of the recent U.S. Presidential elections, this movement may finally succeed.

This image, of a roadside marker that began as a representation to honor the death of a loved-one, now takes on an ominous representation as America’s very democracy hangs in the blaance.