Nathan Sheppard is a Lieutenant in the Portland police bureau. He is a father. Both he and his wife of 21 years are Army veterans who were psychological operation specialists. Nathan was happy to share his story, but he made a clear distinction that although he worked as a police officer in Portland, he was not talking to me as a representative of the police … Continue reading Nathan Sheppard
It stopped me in my tracks. On Sunday, we visited the Peace and Justice Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama. It pays tribute to the 4,000 plus Black people who were lynched in America during a campaign of racial violence that has changed over time, but never really ended. Above your head as you walk through the memorial, large steel beams are suspended, engraved with the names … Continue reading Justice
Peyton Scott Russell is a Minneapolis graffiti artist and street artist who painted a 12′ x 12′ black and white spray paint portrait of George Floyd during the curfew and installed it at the bus stop at the intersection of 38th and Chicago, where Floyd was killed by police on May 25, 2020. “It’s your choice, but we talk about risk. We talk about choice … Continue reading Peyton Scott Russell
George Floyd from John Noltner Photography on Vimeo. A Peace of My Mind visited 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis after the police killing of George Floyd and asked, “What do you want to say?” Music by JoeDavisPoetry.com Continue reading George Floyd
On Monday May 25, George Floyd was killed by police at the intersection of 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis. Because the COVID-9 pandemic had caused all my programming to be cancelled, I happened to be at home, 11.6 miles to the south. On Wednesday I went to see the site where a small memorial was taking shape and on Thursday returned with an improvised portable … Continue reading Maybe this time
We are all hungry for some good news right now. Seek it out. Celebrate it. Use it as our true north and let it lead the way. But don’t turn away from the pain. Don’t dismiss the grief in some rush to return to feeling better. Lament. Sit with it. Wrestle with it. And use it to fuel a commitment to create real and lasting … Continue reading We are hungry
On Wednesday, I went to 38th and Chicago, where George Floyd was killed by police Monday night. Yesterday, I returned with a bare studio kit, set up on the sidewalk and asked a simple question: “What do you want to say?” The memorial on the sidewalk had grown since the day before. The street was now covered in messages of grief, determination and hope. A … Continue reading Listen
I kept my phone off yesterday. It was a writing day and I’ve been struggling to stay separated from the headlines. Just before dinner, I decided to scroll through social media and saw the news of George Floyd. In Minneapolis. 11.6 miles from my home. I was tired. From a long day. From the steady stream painful news. From social distancing. I thought about turning … Continue reading 11.6 miles from my home
