Photograph by
Oliver, Tommy, American, born 1984
Subject of
Unidentified Man or Men
Unidentified Woman or Women
Floyd, George Perry Jr., American, 1973 - 2020
Lacey, Jackie, American, born 1957
Black Lives Matter - Los Angeles, American, founded 2013
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 a large gathering of protesters 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. The protesters are facing the viewer, with those in the foreground seated with only their heads and shoulders visible and another group standing behind them. Most of the protesters are wearing face masks or other protective face wear. Among those who are standing are several protesters holding up protest signs. At the center of the image are two black protest signs with light, hand painted text that reads [BLACK / LIVES / MATTER] and [[S?]ilence / IS / Violent]. Other visible, and partially visible, protest signs on the left read: [DEFUND / THE PO[LICE?]], [IF YOU’RE / NOT LIVID / YOU’RE NOT / LISTENIN[sic]], [BLACK / LIV[ES?] / MAT[T?]ER], and [JEWS / FOR / [—-?]]. A protest sign on the right reads [WE NEED / CHANGE]. One woman, on the right, has a protest sign tucked under her arm that reads [END / SYSTEM[IC] / [RA]CISM]. In the background are some partially visible trees and a white building with a row of tall windows.
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
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
2021.31.20
Restrictions & Rights
© Tommy Oliver
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5bf6ad456-0357-4329-a282-f25b86337b99

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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