Photograph by
Oliver, Tommy, American, born 1984
Subject of
Unidentified Man or Men
Unidentified Woman or Women
Floyd, George Perry Jr., American, 1973 - 2020
Santa Monica Police Department, American, founded 1897
Date
May 31, 2020
Medium
digital
Dimensions
H x W: 3446 pixels × 6720 pixels
File size: 132.54 MB
Caption
Photographer Tommy Oliver is an award-winning producer and cinematographer in television and film. Best known for his 2020 documentary 40 Years a Prisoner on HBO, his docuseries Black Love (2017–2020) on OWN, and his feature film The Perfect Guy (2015), Oliver challenges audiences to question their assumptions about race, gender, and family. The film Kinyarwanda (2011), which Oliver co-produced, weaves together narratives of resilience during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. It won the Sundance Film Festival’s award for World Cinema Drama and was recognized as one of the top 10 films of 2011. This photograph is part of a broader portfolio of images taken during Black Lives Matter rallies in Los Angeles between May 31 and June 14, 2020.
Description
A digital, black-and-white image of a large group of protesters facing a police line of twenty officers at a Black Lives Matter protest on Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, California. The image was taken by Tommy Oliver during the protests that followed the death of George Floyd. The protesters are standing closely together, with their backs to the viewer. A woman at the center of the crowd of protesters holds up a white sign with handwritten, black, text that reads [tu lucha / es mi / lucha! / #BlackLivesMatter]. The sign holder is wearing dark spandex shorts, a black short sleeve T-shirt, and a backpack embellished with three pinback buttons on her back. Many of the protesters are wearing face masks and other types of protective face coverings. Some of the protesters are holding up signs and cell phones, and a few have their hands raised. In the left foreground, within the crowd of protesters, is a pedestrian signal with a street sign with white text that reads [Arizona / Ave / 100]. The protesters are standing catty-corner to the police line, at a four way stop with crosswalks. The officers are standing in a line, blocking off one of the crosswalks. Behind the officers, in the background, is a multi-storied brick building with white windows.
Place captured
Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Photographs and Still Images
Movement
Black Lives Matter
African American - Latinx Solidarity
Type
digital images
digital media - born digital
Topic
Activism
Justice
Photography
Police brutality
Race relations
Resistance
U.S. History, 2001-
Urban life
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Tommy and Codie Oliver
Object number
2021.31.11
Restrictions & Rights
© Tommy Oliver
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5c4d4e9e0-4f95-4b30-917c-f8375d90e776

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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