In deciding which body of work to exhibit during Black History Month, Cato reflected on the stories we often hear during this time – those of the Civil Rights Movement and of Martin Luther King – moments which are of course important, but which, she says, can sometimes feel distant. Instead, she wanted to explore what is happening now. “Black people are making history every day,” Cato says. “This church has been the pinnacle of their community every day.”
Cato’s own fondness for the church is clear. She grew up around its traditions, wearing Sunday best and singing from ageing hymn books. The images themselves are testament to this. Striking portraits taken at the pulpit accompany atmospheric images of the Bible and joyous, euphoric depictions of the congregation at prayer. However, the photographer’s passion goes beyond the work itself, stretching without falter to embrace her curation of Leica Gallery’s wider Black HIstory Month programme.
“I’m doing an exhibition in a space that is amazing and it’s in a very high value area,” Cato explains. “Sometimes you find that there’s an intimidation to walk into those spaces.” To combat this barrier, Cato set about curating a programme designed to engage with more diverse audiences – talks by prominent Black photographers including Simon Frederick and Charlie Phillips, a grant application process created with accessibility in mind and access to high-quality equipment. Her goal? To equip people from a range of communities to tell their own, often profound stories, with the nuance they deserve.
“Within Hollywood, we can see white people as Sherlock Holmes, as sci-fi villains, as in love and as anything else,” the photographer says. “I want to see such an amazing and varied spectrum of Black lives. So, I think we have to keep equipping Black people with the tools to tell their own story, because that’s the only way we will actually get an understanding.”