AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 4

The summer of 2020 marks an incredible moment in history, seeing the birth of one of the
largest civil rights movements the world has ever known. After years of what seemed like an
endless cycle of Black death and white apathy, something new has happened. Cries of support
for Black lives have begun to come from places that were once deathly silent as the terrifying
immunity with which the police could kill Black people was proven over and over, one video at
at time. The outrage of a community used to suffering alone has been felt by others and together
they are beginning to stand up, not in one city or one nation, but all over the world.
The spirit of protest that promises to define this summer is
about more than any one person or one community, and certainly
more than one “bad apple.” This is about every community that
has seen too many lost coming together to declare an end to a centuries-old
system that will terrorize, oppress, and kill to ensure
supremacy. It’s a constitutional right being asserted by people
pushed too far by racist subjugation, economic exploitation, and governmental
apathy, and who will no longer be silent.
No matter how many words we throw at this historic moment,
they’ll all fail to capture it: the weary grief of people so tired of
grieving that there’s nothing left to do but explode; the sudden
awakening of those abruptly coming to realize that nothing costs
more than privilege and struggling to figure out what to do about
it; the optimism of seeing so many voices calling out together for
change; and the fear and outrage of those who champion the status
quo as they see it come crumbling down around them. When a
thousand words won’t begin scratch the surface, there’s only one
thing to do: take a picture.
AphroChic: What inspired you to go out and capture what’s been
happening around Black Lives Matter in New York?
Naeem Douglas: The reaction to George Floyd’s death was
unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It sounds absurd to say, but Black
people dying at the hands of police is something this country has
been okay with for a long time. This latest incident has seemed to
wake up America. Black people aren’t the only ones upset. I wanted to
document what was happening.
AC: With a deadly pandemic going on, were you concerned
about going out to march?
ND: COVID-19 is definitely something I’m constantly thinking
about. You probably can notice none of my photos are particularly
close up. I try my best to stay out the fray but still take a photo. This
is history in the streets and I felt compelled to document it. I COULD
NOT STAY HOME.
AC: What was the spirit of the people that you saw marching
like? What was your own spirit like?
ND: Good spirits, but you could also sense a bit of exhaustion
from Black people. I think people really want police interactions with
Black people to change. In the streets of New York City, there’s a lot of
support for this movement. People honk their horns in support as the
marches and protest move throughout New York City.
AC: Was there anything in particular that surprised you about
this moment?
ND: I was certainly surprised by white people’s involvement. I
covered many protests in the past going back to the Sean Bell protest.
It’s mostly a Black affair. But I’ve seen so many white people involved
in these recent protests. They’re not taking leadership roles but I’ve
seen a few rallies that were 80% white.
AC: There have been many reports of police violence against
protestors here in the city. Did you witness any violence as you
captured this movement?
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