Four days after George Floyd’s murder last May, Lane County residents of all backgrounds took their anger and sadness to the street to fight injustice, apathy and, sometimes, their own feelings of hopelessness — and continued to do so nearly every day for weeks through a summer of action.
Many young Black leaders and protest groups with different goals and politics emerged to organize marches, rallies and organizations to spread the message that Black lives matter.
Now, a year later, some activists said they remain energized and hopeful for the future while others feel they’ve been placated, tokenized and are disappointed by the lack of changes.
Click hereto meet some local leaders in last summer’s Black Lives Matter activism as they reflect on the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, the status of the movement and what’s yet to come.
Editors' note: This project is a collaboration between KLCC and The Eugene Register-Guard.
Contact reporter Jordyn Brown at jbrown@registerguard.com and on Twitter @thejordynbrown; reporter Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick at Tatiana@registerguard.com and on Twitter @TatianaSophiaPT; and reporter Elizabeth Gabriel at egabriel@klcc.org and on Twitter @_elizabethgabs.