Photograph by
Oliver, Tommy, American, born 1984
Subject of
Sampson, Kendrick, American, born 1988
Unidentified Man or Men
Unidentified Woman or Women
Floyd, George Perry Jr., American, 1973 - 2020
Weber, Johnny, American
Twyman, Ryan, American, died 2019
Lacey, Jackie, American, born 1957
Black Lives Matter - Los Angeles, American, founded 2013
BLD PWR, American, founded 2018
Date
June 3, 2020
Medium
digital
Dimensions
H x W: 4480 pixels × 6720 pixels
File size: 172.3 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 Kendrick Sampson speaking at a Black Lives Matter - Los Angeles protest against District Attorney Jackie Lacey in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The image was taken by Tommy Oliver during the protests that followed the death of George Floyd. Sampson, at the center of the image, is speaking into a microphone in his proper left hand and is smiling as he makes his address. He is wearing a black knit beanie and a black cut-off, sleeveless T-shirt with the logo [BLD / PWR] printed in white text inside a white, outlined rectangle printed over his chest. He also has a black face mask with white piping around the edges pulled down and resting on the top of his collarbone. Behind him, is a large white sign with partially visible text that reads [JACKIE LA[CEY?] MUST [GO?]!]]. Slightly behind Sampson, on his left, is a woman wearing a light cap and a sequined face mask and holding a memorial card or plaque with the image of a young man on it. Behind Sampson is Johnny Weber, wearing a black, short sleeve T-shirt. He is holding up a protest sign that reads [RYAN TWYMAN / 34 SHOTS? [—-?] / justice for [—-?] / UNARMED!!]. On the far right is a partially visible man standing with his back to Sampson, wearing a black baseball style cap and a black, short sleeve T-shirt with white stenciled text over the chest. In the background are other protesters, some carrying protest signs.
Place captured
Downtown LA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Photographs and Still Images
Movement
Black Lives Matter
Type
digital images
digital media - born digital
Topic
Activism
Actors
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
2021.31.18
Restrictions & Rights
© Tommy Oliver
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd571a7ad16-eba9-4782-88ec-2bc8314ad16c

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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