- Photograph by
- Oliver, Tommy, American, born 1984
- Subject of
- Unidentified Man or Men
- Unidentified Woman or Women
- Floyd, George Perry Jr., American, 1973 - 2020
- Reed, Sean, American, died 2020
- Arbery, Ahmaud, American, 1994 - 2020
- Taylor, Breonna, American, 1993 - 2020
- McCree, Ariane, American, died 2019
- Santa Monica Police Department, American, founded 1897
- Date
- May 31, 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, color image of a police line 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. It features a police line standing in front of a crowd of protesters. Three officers, one partially depicted, are standing with their backs to the viewers, facing the protesters. They are wearing navy blue uniforms and black police protective equipment: riot helmets with face visors and tactical vests. The police officer at the center has white text printed on the back of his vest that reads [POLICE]. The police officer in the left foreground is wearing a white helmet with a black backpack. The windshield and handlebars of two motorcycles are visible between the three officers. In front of the officers, is a large, tightly packed crowd of protesters, many of whom are wearing face masks or other types of protective face coverings. Some of the protesters are holding protest signs above their heads. The cardboard sign at the center of the crowd has large, black, block text at the top that reads [BLM] with smaller text below that reads [#GEORGE FLOYD / #SEAN REED / #AMAUD[sic] ARBERY / #BREONNA TAYLOR / ARIANE MCCREE] with the last two names partially obscured by the person's hand holding the sign. A sign on the far right reads, [NO BRUTALITY / -IN MY- REALITY]. Other mostly visible signs read [SILENCE / IS / VIOLENCE] and [WHITE / SUPREMACY / = / TERRORISM]. In the background, on the left, is a building with balconies. Also visible in the background are street signs, traffic signals, and tree trunks.
- Place captured
- Santa Monica, 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
- 2021.31.2
- Restrictions & Rights
- © Tommy Oliver
- Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




