Black Women Photographers and TrackTown USA Partner to Hire Black Women for The Prefontaine Classic and USATF Outdoor Championships

Photographers May Submit Content for Consideration to Officially Document Events Hosted by TrackTown USA in 2022

(Eugene, OR) Today TrackTown USA, the local organizing committee for the Prefontaine Classic and 2022 Toyota USATF Outdoor Championships, announced it has partnered with Polly Irungu’s Black Women Photographers organization.

Together they are working to create opportunities for up-and-coming Black women photographers to be a part of TrackTown USA’s content teams for the 2022 track and field season at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. Irungu and the TrackTown USA team will select a group of photographers to be paid for coverage of The Prefontaine Classic and USATF Outdoor Championships. Their photos will be utilized to assist with the live coverage of these events on TrackTown USA platforms as well as tell stories of athletes competing on the track.

Starting today, established, and emerging photographers may apply on BlackWomenPhotographers.com, or submit their work via Instagram by posting their photography with the hashtag #BWPxTrackTown and reposting the competition flier. The deadline for submissions is May 3rd, 2022.

Creatives can apply at https://blackwomenphotographers.com/tracktown-usa

While this partnership is the first between the Black Women Photographers organization and TrackTown USA, Irungu’s connection with the Eugene-based nonprofit began in 2016 when she was an intern with the organization’s communications team.

“This is a historic partnership that will change the way other institutions think about who is behind the lens telling the stories of the athletes competing in such pivotal events of their careers. From being a TrackTown USA intern to now partnering with them to hire talented Black women sports photographers, this partnership is the definition of a full circle moment. My internship with TTUSA changed my life, and now I’m able to change lives with them.”

Jake Willard, the Brand Marketing and Engagement Manager for TrackTown, was also a part of the communications internship team in 2016 with Irungu. For him, this partnership feels especially meaningful. “I learned so much from Polly when we worked together at the IAAF World Indoor Championships and U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2016. She has an impressive ability to tell stories and bring people together from all walks of life. Nowhere has that been more apparent than her success with Black Women Photographers. This partnership is a great step in the sport’s continuing efforts to empower the voices of Black women.”

About Black Women Photographers

Launched in July of 2020, Black Women Photographers (BWP) is a global community of over 1,000 active members from around the world. BWP aims to disrupt the notion that it is difficult to discover and commission Black creatives. Through honest dialogue via social conversations and workshops, the platform seeks to ensure that more Black women and non-binary photographers are empowered to make the industry as colorful as it ought to be.

Black Women Photographers is a home for Black women to receive proper recognition, and most importantly, get hired. Dedicated to providing a resource for the industry’s gatekeepers, it supports its members through promoting their work in an active database distributed to photo editors, directors, curators, and art buyers. The collective also offers free educational resources such as regular programing of webinars, workshops, trainings, and portfolio reviews.

About TrackTown USA, Inc.

TrackTown USA, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to setting a standard of excellence in hosting premier track and field events, creating a supportive environment for elite athletic performances, being a leader in sustainable sport practices, and inspiring the next generation of track and field athletes and fans. The organization was responsible for organizing the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, the 2015 USATF Outdoor Championships, the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland, the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Track & Field, and the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials—Track & Field.