Mourning, joy, relief

The event, though freezing cold--literally, it was 32F/0C with a good wind on the bridge high over the river--was a warm-hearted gathering of good people honoring Black History Month. We photographers did our respective jobs. I concentrated on closeups and portraits, Sue got the crowd and the context, and Jessica (whose photos I haven't yet received) moved with the crowd and did both portraits and crowd shots.

June Knightly, the woman who was killed by a white supremacist exactly a week ago, had been a volunteer in Jo Ann's campaign, and Jo Ann began with a moment of remembrance and said June was "a person of great love for justice and for the community." Then the day became a time to remember with appreciation the Civil Rights movement in the USA. JoAnn said, "I wish I could tell you we fixed it. That we put an end to systemic racism. But we're still doing the work, and here you all are, doing it with us. Thank you." 

We walked from the east end of the bridge to the west end, where Mic Crenshaw was performing some rousing hiphop/rap music. I got a joyful portrait of the two of them, and I also made a number of headshots for Jo Ann's campaign and photos of her with people she knows and loves.

There were no incidents, no hecklers, no white supremacists with their flags and guns and fury. Just a hundred or so good people on a bridge in the cold, on an overcast day, remembering.