The killing of George Floyd at the knee of Minneapolis police on Memorial Day 2020 sparked international outrage and protests. Protests have continued in a number of cities across the nation, including Columbia, as additional names have been added to the list of victims. In Columbia, protests have been organized by a number of groups, including the People’s Defense, Black Lives Matter, Mizzou students, and Faith Voices. Allied groups such as the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the John Brown Gun Club have also played a supporting role.
Although not the first, one of the most infamous incidents of police brutality against Black bodies to be captured on video occurred March 1991, as George Holliday filmed the savage beating of Rodney King by the Los Angeles Police Department. Initially, none of the four officers involved were held accountable, sparking six days of riots in which 63 people were killed and thousands injured. Later, after a federal case, two of the officers served prison terms. This was perhaps the first police brutality incident captured on film that caused widespread awareness and protest. It would not be the last.
The ubiquitous nature of cell phone cameras has finally resulted in a reckoning for the nation. We can no longer pretend the problem of police violence against Black bodies does not exist. We have seen it with our own eyes. We have all witnessed the violence firsthand as Alton Sterling, Freddie Gray, Walter Scott, Jacob Blake, and many, many more have experienced undue pain or death at the hands of those sworn to protect. Has this changed the decades-long fight. Will the new, readily available tools for recording misdeeds finally create the sustained outrage needed to compel real change?
In the following video we hear the perspectives of three, long time Columbia activists. Mary Ratliff, former State President and current President of the Columbia chapter of NAACP; Rev. C.W. Dawson, local minister and activist, and Jeff Stack with the Fellowship of Reconciliation talk about their own experiences with activism, what might be different now, and offer some words of encouragement and advice to the next generation of the movement to end racial injustice.
Video link: For privacy reasons, the video is only posted on Leanne’s password protected blog.
Self-Reflection:
We had so many roadblocks and troubles along the way for this project. For starters, we couldn’t find subjects and had to switch subtopics, we also had a subject who would only allow for a zoom interview, and we really hit a time crunch rush at the end. We had a really hard time scheduling time together to work on and edit the project. Because of these things, the project wasn’t as good as I think we were all imagining it would be at the beginning. There are some technical and story elements I’m not thrilled with.
Overall, though, I thought we turned out a pretty cool video. We were striving to cover the protests in a unique light and despite the change, I think we still achieved this. We managed to bring in a new look on timely issue and tied in the history element nicely by using old photos. We had good organization thanks for foresight at the beginning.
I think the part I enjoyed the most about the process was uncovering these older photographs we used as b-roll. That was one of my main contributions to the project, and I think it adds an extra layer to the project. Being able to bring in that history element in a visual way was important to our project.
The impact? I think I personally got a much better look at the activist movement. Coming from my background, as a middle-class white woman, I was very aware of my ignorance going into this project. Listening to these people, especially hearing C.W. and Mary’s experiences, was eye-opening to me. I was thankful for the opportunity to grow. I wish I could have asked them several more questions and I think this is a topic I want to explore more, including in KC, my hometown.