BLACK LIVES MATTER
MEET THE CREATIVES WHO ARE USING THEIR TALENT TO RECORD HISTORY AND CHAMPION CHANGE.
The killing of innocent Black citizens like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many more at the hands of police has sent the nation into an uproar of action, leading to widespread protests across the country. Thanks in part to the public outcry and daily demonstrations across all 50 states, all officers involved in Floyd’s death have been charged,
While largely peaceful, protests in New York City, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, and Los Angeles erupted into violence, as police utilized tear gas and rubber bullets to clear crowds, often when such show of force was deemed unnecessary. Familiar bustling city streets felt foreign as police wearing riot gear and members of the military blocked parks and roadways, enforcing early curfews.
Citizens continue to rally together daily and many brave photographers have taken on the responsibility of heading to the frontlines to document history. Actively participating in the crowds alongside fellow protestors, these brave photojournalists have captured the realities and dangers of protesting for equality - all in the midst of a global pandemic.
L’Officiel spoke with nine Black photographers participating in protests across the country. Reporting from Brooklyn, Atlanta, D.C. and beyond, their lenses have captured the hope, fear, and resilience of communities coming together in protest. Each photographer shares an image they’ve taken during the protest and put into words what they are seeing, feeling, and thinking.
Mark Clennon Photo to the right New York, NY
Mark Clennon is an NYC based photographer specializing in editorial, fashion, and fine art portraiture. Born and raised in Florida, Clennon started his career in tech. He quit his full-time job after only one year of amateur photography. Since then, he has built his career in NYC working with world-renowned brands including Dapper Dan, Roc Nation, Nike, Netflix, Complex, Footlocker, The FADER, Forbes, and many more. Mark’s mission as an artist is to raise our collective self-esteem by illustrating the dreams, fears, and fantasies of life that make us human.
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“As a photographer, I always try to see the world through a rose-colored lens – capturing the multifaceted beauty and power of Black women and men. But, as a Black person, I am aware of the realities of this country. This photo is a reminder that I was out of work for months due to COVID. The only reason I am back to work now is because yet another Black person has died at the hands of police brutality. Currently, Black photographers, businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs are being thrust into the spotlight, which is a good thing, But this can’t just be a moment – it is much deeper than that. I am a Black photographer and my skills, as well of the talents of my brothers and sisters, should be consistently rec–ognized, requested, and represented, not only during a time of turmoil.”
Darnell Thompson Brooklyn, NY
Darnell Thompson is an NYU graduate and NYC based content creator. He is one of the Founding Partners for Thursday Boot Company and Nothing New Sneakers. Thompson believes content creation is a great outlet to bring your thoughts to life as well as one of the best ways to help others understand your way of thinking.
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“I’ve seen things I thought I’d only read about in history books firsthand. The experience changes you, but at the same time, it makes you learn how your peers think which will change the future from this day forward.”
Kay Hickman Brooklyn, NY
Kay Hickman is a New York based documentary photographer and visual artist. Her work largely focuses on documenting the human experience as it relates to identity, human rights, and health issues. Hickman’s work has been featured in The New York Times, TIME, Vogue, Utne Reader, Ms. Magazine, OkayPlayer, Coeval, Jazz Halo and Photographic Journal: MFON Women Photographers of the African Diaspora. Hickman also Joined the Everyday Project’s Advisory Board where she works on various initiatives, as well as helping to curate Everyday Black America’s Instagram feed
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“While in the crowd documenting the rally of protestors I felt a sense of community and people genuinely coming together in support of change.”
JD Barnes Brooklyn, NY
Originall from Montgomery, Alabama, JD Barnes is a photographer who currently calls Brooklyn, New York home. Photography is his passion, his art, his truth.
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“There is no way to silence this. It’s going to keep growing. It’s going to bring about real change, by any means necessary. People need to really understand that. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. 400 plus years of repression was always going to eventually lead to this. So now that we are here, history is being made. I ask that everybody reading this choose the right side.”
Alexis Hunley Los Angeles, CA
Alexis Hunley is a queer Black female portrait photographer based in Los Angeles. Hunley has been documenting the impact of COVID-19 in her neighborhood and covering the protests throughout Los Angeles.
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“Watching non-Black people show up to protests with cameras pushing Black photographers out of the way to get “the shot” or stopping in the middle of marches to get content for their social media channels is infuriating. I don’t show up simply to document, I am there in solidarity with my community and to affirm my own existence as a queer Black woman. This is personal.”
Peter Cooper Brooklyn, NY
Peter Cooper is a Brooklyn-based photographer, editor, and video producer who has been documenting social justice, culture, and humanity since 2010. His photographs have been published in The New York Times, Forbes, Salon, Harlem Community News, Hyperallergic and The Uptown Collective. In 2016, the National Black Theatre featured his debut photo exhibit of street portraits celebrating joy in the Black community, as part of “The Alchemy of Black Joy.”
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“The scent of sage was floating in the air as this woman cleansed protestors. She then turned to the approaching police and said, “You all need cleansing too.” It was a moment of peace and connection, and opened my eyes to the possibility of radical change.”
XEN Rockford, Illinois
Xen is a writer and visual artist with an eye for turning subtleties into blunt objects; slightly stepping away from the traditional and conventional, in hopes of offering an alternate perspective on life, comprised of juxtapositions of beauty and ugly - a sort of rigid eloquence.
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“Change is as evident as time. It is the indication that life exists, and whether or not evolution is taking place. However, our opportunities for long term impact have been compromised, because instead of being able to capitalize on the moments that define our excellence, we instead have chosen Capitalism itself. Things started off strong and peaceful, with a diverse multitude that gradually began to dwindle, as the evening progressed, and police exited the precinct to make their presence known. Tensions mounted between protesters and law enforcement, following a series of events that lead up to SWAT and reinforcements arriving and surrounding protesters, eventually resulting in individuals being pepper-sprayed and some arrests. Despite the very ugly reason coming together, it was very beautiful to see young people gathered and raising their voices and taking leadership fearlessly.”
Dee Dwyer Washington D.C
Dee Dwyer is a Photographer from Southeast, Washington, D.C who produces awe-inspiring images. Dwyer is “The Visual Voice for the People” - her goal is to show all aspects of humanity. Dwyer’s raw and compelling candids unveil the souls of people. Dwyer recently exhibited her work at Photoville in the show “Perspectives” curated by the legendary photographers Jamel Shabazz and Laylah Amatullah Barrayn. In 2019 Dwyer curated her first solo exhibition “Last Bite of Chocolate City?”: images that document the “Black experience” in Washington, D.C.
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“Art, to me, is ‘Life.’ I use photography as a form of art. It is a way to stop time and reflect on a moment that can possibly shift history going forward. As a person who’s witnessed and experienced struggle, I am naturally drawn to its core. While out creating photographs, I spend time trying to understand human experiences. This is essential to my process. I create photographs that capture people in their element. I’m fascinated with photographing the ‘misunderstood’. I hope that my work will clarify many misconceptions of which the world has dumped on people that aren’t socially accepted into society and who are economically disadvantaged. This is why I fearlessly documented the protests in D.C. after the killing of George Floyd and many others who’ve lost their lives due to racism. I hope my photographs will be preserved forever so the world can see how hard we fought for Black lives because we matter.”
Lynsey Weatherspoon Atlanta, Georgia
Lynsey Weatherspoon’s first photography teacher was her late mother, Rhonda. Weatherspoon is a photojournalist and portraitist based in Atlanta and Birmingham using both photography and filmmaking as tools to tell stories.
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“Black people should be able to live in freedom without thinking we may not return home. Though a lot has transpired in the past week, our resilience keeps us motivated that change will come, only when the systemic issues that have been adopted by the nation are dismantled.”