Nationwide unrest erupted after the death of unarmed George Floyd by police on May 25, 2020, setting off a chain reaction of demonstrations protesting police brutality and racial injustice in America, with echoes all around the world. Immediately following this event, over a series of trips into the areas of protests in downtown Columbus, OH, I began capturing the current state of the city as things unfolded. What resulted was an outpouring of many emotions built up over time, which ultimately unleashed a magnitude of civil unrest that would forever affect the lives of many and change our city as we know it.

During my trips down into the heart of the protest, I focused on different aspects of capture each time, ultimately compiling four episodes of a full project titled “Heart of The City”. My photos represent an overall collective from the various episodes, and to give context to the idea and focus of each segment captured, the episode summaries have been included and are detailed as following:

EPISODE I:
This episode captures the early aftermath of protests and rioting in downtown Columbus, immediately following the death of George Floyd.

EPISODE II:
With an increase in numbers, protesters take to the grounds of the State House and the streets of downtown Columbus. The city goes into high alert calling in the assistance of the National Guard, Ohio State Troopers, and several other surrounding police department personnel.

EPISODE III:
This episode focuses specifically on the messages of signage being displayed by demonstrators.

EPISODE IV:
“What kind of world are we to leave the children of this time?” Episode IV focuses on a hunt to capture the essence of innocence, as it collides with the reality of life.