Accra Shepp, Ruj Greigarn, Louyi Ferrin — Art At A Time Like This

Accra Shepp

So many unimaginable things have happened, some might say even impossible things. And now, the killing of a single Black man has ignited cities not just across America, but literally around the world, in Europe and Africa and beyond. And this fire is not just among the people, but the leaders as well. It is still unclear whether substantive change will become a reality. But the indicators, unbelievably, point towards reform.

I have tried to tease out why now. Why not after Rodney King? Why not after Abner Louima, or Eleanor Bumpers, or Trayvon, or Tamir, or Sandra? My thoughts turn to the pandemic. My theory is that the coronavirus - the threat of our mortality, the masks, the gloves, the sanitizing, the distancing, living online as opposed to living in real life - the pandemic demands every fiber of our being in order for us to be present in this new reality. It is exhausting. Of course, we've had to add this to climate change and political malfeasance and nights awake wondering whether we had a job or not - all this left our brains and our hearts with no extra space.

Then came Ahmaud, followed by Breonna. We barely had time to gasp, let alone collect ourselves when we were confronted with the video of George Floyd. Where could we put this? How could we possibly process this? Wasn’t it inevitable that the only place it could go was into the streets? Overflowing our minds our hearts and running into the streets, not as a trickle, but immediately as a vast torrent, of 300 million hearts and minds overflowing together.

It wasn’t 2011 with Occupy, or 2014 with Black Lives Matter (part i), but 2020 when we arrive at catharsis. But we are not through this moment and won’t be for some time. Nor do we know whether this slow-motion catharsis will resolve in favor of reform or greater oppression. And so we go.

BLM Protest Jackson Heights Queens, Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Ruj Greigarn

After George Floyd's incident, which he was murdered by the police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. People, not just only Americans but also around the world are angry and not satisfied with what had happened. With issues, of racism and violence problems that have been problems in the USA for a long time. There are lot of protesting events around the United States.

In New York City, there are many protesting events that occurred around many boroughs. For what I have been to the field of the protest in Union Square, Manhattan. I have been there as a witness to the situation of how people get upset and angry from the incident. I saw a crowd of people call for justice, peace, and no racism. I walked with them and carried my cameras to photograph them along with the protest. I can feel how they feel when I saw them through the viewfinder of my cameras. I have been talked to the protesters, most of them need their voice to be heard by people around the world.

Louyi Ferrin

Growing up in law enforcement home I got to see the Wine-down of many stressful days of work. But my parents always set an example By always reminding me that I was person of color and so were they and when it came to dealing with police I had to stay calm and talk clearly. With these images I wanted to show the aggression on the officers face during these hard and endless time.