May 25, 2021, marked the one year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder by Derek Chauvin of the Minneapolis police department. The anniversary sparked protests and vigils nationwide honoring Floyd and those who have lost their lives to gun violence and hate. Throughout the last year and counting, Floyd’s name has become emblematic of the ongoing struggle faced by the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities.
As we continue to combat these continued acts of violence, and as we celebrate the continued small victories against oppression, let us not forget the very people we continue to fight for. Below is a series of photos that have captured the various vigils and memorials created by Seattle-based artists and residents over the last year, honoring those we’ve lost.
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder and subsequent protests, Seattle’s International District participated in a community-wide mural project, painting a variety of Black Lives Matter-themed artwork over the boarded up windows of many local businesses that were forced to close their doors due to theft and vandalism.
Jordan Somers | The Seattle CollegianJordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian The majority of the mural projects in Seattle’s International District memorialized the victims of police brutality.Jordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian A doorway on South Hanford Street and Beacon Avenue in Beacon Hill, memorializing those in the transgender and gender non-conforming community who had been murdered in recent years.Days after the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) was established, community residents memorialized those who had been killed during protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.
Jordan Somers | The Seattle CollegianJordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian At the onset of a March 2021 rally to protect black trans lives, protestors held space for transgender and gender non-conforming lives lost at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle’s Capitol Hill.During a March 2021 march, protestors honored Jacob Blake – who was shot seven times and paralyzed from the waist down – in front of the West Precinct police station in Downtown Seattle.
Jordan Somers | The Seattle CollegianJordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian Seattle’s famous Paramount Theater in Downtown Seattle pays homage to George Floyd one year after his murder at the hands of Minneapolis Police.Jordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian A “Justice For Breonna” sign sits propped up against a telephone pole in front of a residence in Seattle’s Central District, honoring the life of Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed in her own home by police officers during a botched raid.Lawn signs act as tombstones on 23rd Street and Yesler Avenue for those killed by police in recent years.
Jordan Somers | The Seattle CollegianJordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian The tombstones on 23rd and Yesler for those killed by police in recent years continue around the cornerJordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian The names of victims of hate crime and police brutality span across the side of the Royal Room’s wall in Seattle’s Columbia CityJordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian The names span so far that it was impossible to get a head-on photo of them allJordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian One year after Breonna Taylor’s murder, protestors took to the streets to decry her tragic death, lighting a vigil in Occidental Park before their march.Jordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian After the formation of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), protestors painted “George Floyd Way” over the 11th Avenue street sign. 11th Avenue and Pine Street became the epicenter of Seattle protests before the Seattle Police Department abandoned the East Precinct and subsequent formation of CHAZ.After the formation of CHAZ, protestors displayed the names of those killed by police directly in front of the abandoned East Precinct station.
Jordan Somers | The Seattle CollegianGeorge Floyd artwork displayed on one of the many barricades that lined Pine Street in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ).
Jordan Somers | The Seattle CollegianJordan Somers | The Seattle Collegian In Winter 2020, a student of the Seattle Artist league painted a mural on the side of the organization’s building, depicting Charleena Lyles, a pregnant mother of four who was shot and killed in her home by the Seattle Police Department.
Jordan Somers is currently in his second year of Visual Media at Seattle Central College. He specializes in photojournalism and documentary work, with a particular emphasis on social movements happening throughout the city. His 2020 documentary, Hope is Not Cancelled, was an official selection at the Local Sightings Film Festival, and won an award for best editing at the Oregon Documentary Film Festival. Jordan is an avid traveler when granted the opportunity, and has a keen interest in psychology and existential philosophy.
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