I left the comforts of my home in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic for the first time since the world went on lockdown on June 4th, 2020. It was terrifying, but as an artist, I felt compelled to attend the protest movement of the May 25th, 2020, murder of George Floyd, a Houstonian or, as we affectionally call it, an 'H-Town' native.
As an artist and educator who uses photographs as my language of choice, I had a burning desire to ensure I visually recorded Houston's reaction to the tragedy. My senses were ultra-sensitive, and things were so vivid through my camera lens—emotions, from love to disappointment to the feeling of just being tired of injustices, were overwhelming.
I was horrified by what I saw on television, as the anger and destruction in George Floyd's name were not our beloved H-Town's general feeling. These images are those emotions in a visual form. It was H-Town Hurting. The gist was we had lost one of our own, and this protest showed unity, respect, and love.