Photograph by
Oliver, Tommy, American, born 1984
Subject of
Dr. King, Martin Luther Jr., American, 1929 - 1968
Floyd, George Perry Jr., American, 1973 - 2020
Date
June 14, 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 protest sign used during the All Black Lives Matter march in Hollywood, California. The image was taken by Tommy Oliver during the protests that followed the death of George Floyd. The image depicts a protest sign held up by a single hand. The sign is constructed from corrugated cardboard and has a rectangular, rainbow painted piece of paper attached to the front of the sign with clear tape. Black, hand-painted text on the paper reads [ONLY LOVE / CAN DRIVE / OUT HATE / -MLK]. In the top left corner of the sign is a blue sticker with white and red text that reads [THE / SYSTEM / HAS NO FUTURE / FOR THE YOUTH… / THE / REVOLUTION / DOES]. In the background, are the branches of a blurred leafy tree and a blue sky.
Place captured
Hollywood, 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
LGBTQ
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
2021.31.71
Restrictions & Rights
© Tommy Oliver
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd533d7a1b9-3f73-4683-848c-5bda75164817

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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