NOLA Rally Against Racist Violence
We’re experiencing an important time in history right now. This week a video surfaced showing a Minneapolis cop kneeling on a black man’s neck until he died. The man begged for his life, screamed that he couldn’t breathe and even yelled for his family in desperation. There were other officers involved who helped hold the man down and did not intervene in this stopping this murder from happening. This man’s name was George Floyd. His senseless murder was seen worldwide and and the lack of response from the governing bodies of Minnesota created an uproar of voices across the nation. Protests ensued. Some became violent and still no action was taken against the offending officers. Some rallies became riots until there was finally action taken against the main officer. He was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Here in New Orleans, we had a few protests and marches that happened this weekend. As a photographer, I believe that this was something important to document. I attended the NOLA Rally Against Racist Violence which took place on May 30th, 2020 at the New Orleans City Hall. There was a powerful energy to the crowd, you could feel the sadness, the pain, the anger, the hurt, the fear and the hope.
Since we’re in a global pandemic, measures were taken to ensure the safety of everyone in attendance. Medical help was available, a buddy system was put forward and people were told to write important information on their bodies if anything bad were to happen. There were people walking around handing out masks, hand sanitizer and water. Everyone kept respectful distances considering the circumstances. They were there to listen and express their frustrations with this injustice and and the injustices against many other black people. The speakers for the protest were community organizers and had powerful things to say. Considering the times we’re living in, it was incredible to see the amount of people trying to accomplish the same goal. Solidarity.
I’m really grateful for my experience here. Under represented individuals and groups of people had a platform to vocalize their experiences. The police kept their distance and the protesters made their voices heard. Below are more photos I took throughout my time there.
I believe it’s important to experience these rallies/protests to listen to the experiences of black people from diverse backgrounds. I wanted to document my experience through these photos and show an important moment in these turbulent times. In a perfect future the terrible acts of violence against my fellow black people would be a thing of the distant past and rallies/protests would no longer be necessary.