In 2003, as he attended the funeral of Kevin Black’s 16-year-old daughter Cortney, Montgomery County freelance photographer Dave Clements was overcome by the thought of burying your child.
Black, the brother of musician Clint Black, had lost his teen daughter to Rett syndrome, a condition that affects how the brain develops.
According to a release from Black and Clements’ “Raising A Hand” nonprofit, Rett syndrome occurs mostly in females with a growing number of males being identified. It leads to severe impairments, affecting nearly every aspect of the child’s life including their ability to speak, walk, eat and breathe easily.
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A call to action
That inconceivable thought is the thing that has kept the friends and fellow photographers going for 20 years as they raise funds for Rett syndrome research.
Through their “Raising a Hand” project, they launched a series of fundraising efforts from golf tournaments to concerts to walks and runs in order to bring an end to this disease.
‘Raising a Hand’ series
Most recently, they combined their passions of music and photography with images of music artists for the “Raising a Hand” book project. Volume I was released in 2016, Volume II in 2021 and the release of the third and final volume was announced Friday.
“Where Dave grew up in Virginia, he recalled that if someone was raising a hand, they were raising a hand to help someone else. We incorporated that concept into our project by getting artists to agree to be in one of our three books,” Black said.
They worked with artists and their respective agents to gain support for the cause and approval to use the artists photos in the books.
Volume One had a black cover featuring Clint Black, The Eagles, George Strait, Greg Shelton, Willie Nelson, Stevie Nicks, Paul McCartney, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Jimmy Buffett and BB King.
The white cover of Volume II features a montage of 11 artists including Garth Brooks, Gene Simmons of Kiss, Alan Jackson, Christine McVie, Chris Stapleton, Wynonna, Gregg Allman, Lionel Richie, Tom Petty, Dave Matthews and Pete Townshend of The Who.
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The final chapter
The third and final volume of their music photography book collection is called “Raising a Hand: A Photographic Music Festival with a Cause” with a gray cover.
This edition features 340 photos from artists including Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill, Air Supply, Kenny G and Wynonna Judd and others. All photographs for Volume III were taken at Dosey Doe Big Barn in The Woodlands.
Clements said the third edition also features photos and the history of Dosey Doe Big Barn which was formerly an 1840s barn, photos of signed mats from the artists and 100 music-trivia questions and answers.
Earlier this year, Black also released the song “Raising a Hand” in tribute to the children experiencing Rett syndrome.
The project’s impact
Collectively, the books have sold more than 13,000 copies since the project’s launch in 2015.
A boxed set of all three books can be purchased for $150 with all proceeds from the books benefiting the International Rett Syndrome Foundation. The boxed sets are signed and numbered with 500 limited editions available.
Individually the first two books are $35 each plus shipping. The third volume is $39 plus shipping.
“We are very grateful to have Kevin and Dave supporting our mission by donating to fund research and raising awareness for Rett syndrome,” said Melissa Kennedy, CEO of the International Rett Syndrome Foundation. “Their commitment to advocating for Rett syndrome is making a difference in lives of children across the Rett syndrome community.”
What’s next
In December the nonprofit will make a $100,000 matching donation to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation. They plan the same in December 2025.
Their next goal is to sell all the “Raising a Hand” editions benefiting charity.
While the third edition concludes the “Raising a Hand” project, the duo are in the early stages of development for a fourth book that will be based on their photography, the journey to complete their “Raising a Hand” series and sharing the sentiment that even in the “fourth quarter” of their life people can still make a difference in the world.
“The concept of the book will be how two guys partnered to make the fourth quarter of their lives as much on purpose as possible,” Clements said.
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