On the Road Again

Too Black Too Fast

[Excerpted from press release by Jayne Rogovin, publicist, The Jayne Gang]

TOO BLACK TOO FAST

Award Winning Nashville Artist Uses His Canvas to Capture America’s First Athletes: Black Jockey

Nashville, Tennessee -

Renowned Visual Artist Michael McBride has unveiled a suite of unique works to illuminate a little known chapter of American History; blacks jockeys as the first American Athletes and the foundation of our modern racing and thoroughbred industry.

More than 200 years before Jackie Robinson took the baseball field black jockeys were dominating what was then America’s first pastime; horse racing.  Slaves and later freed black men ruled this “Sport of Kings” from 1607-1910. The rise and disappearance of black riders is a direct parallel to our country’s often painful social history.

“Too Black Too Fast,”  a multi-media project documenting this history started with a simple phone call from a friend and business associate of McBride’s who was looking to see if he had ever done paintings of black jockeys.  “I had never even heard of this,” says McBride. “As a history and horse enthusiast I was immediately intrigued and had to learn more.” Once I started researching and discovered the black influence on racing and the thoroughbred breeding industry in America I was astounded and knew I had to help bring this to light.”

Little by little, McBride began to work on this project while keeping it under the radar as it seemed to him that this was the best African-American story never told.  

Not only is the story of the black in America’s racing industry unique, so is the process McBride uses to illustrate this chapter in America’s History.  “I call it the Harris technique”, he says. “The paintings are created with some house items like, cotton balls, Q-tips, paper towels, my hand and a little brush work.”

Peggy Harris spent three years inventing this technique and taught it to McBride when he started working for her in her studio about 25 years ago. 

But the paintings are just a small part of a bigger picture.  When McBride began sharing his labor of love with associates it became apparent to him it was a story to be told through all mediums.  He and his manager, Derell Stinson, devised a multi-faceted project containing paintings, sculptures, and a documentary, full length feature film, a soundtrack, and a tour with educational outreach.  

Contact: Jayne Rogovin 

The Jayne Gang

Marketing @ PR Associates         

 HYPERLINK "mailto:jrogovin@bellsouth.net" publicity@tooblacktoofast.com

615-403-2393