I’m on a bus heading towards Tsunan, Niigata to photograph a children’s outdoor camp and I get a message from a young fashion University student, Sophia Mirto. She said she saw my images of June’s Black Lives Matter March and asked me about featuring a few of my images in a BLM project she was working on. It took me by surprise because there were so many photographers, videographers, and dedicated photojournalists at the event […]
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It was four years ago when I was at this very park covering the Black Lives Matter march organized by the African Americans Youth Travel Program. On August 6, 2016, the march’s adversary was 37 degree heat and humidity. On June 14, 2020, the list of adversaries ranged from rainy weather, to fears of becoming infected with the coronavirus, to a potentially formidable group of not one but TWO groups of counter protesters. Yet 3600 […]
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On August 6, 2016, TopTia was humbled to follow a group of peaceful protesters in downtown Tokyo. Social media played a big role in reaching local and international audiences as the hashtags, #0806blmshibuya and #blacklivesmatter were marched around the Shibuya ward last Saturday. Henry Moreland Seals of Tokyo Black Professionals and Amber Richardson of the African American Youth Travel Program, both organized the march and lead 50+ protesters from start to finish in the 37 degree heat. The Message […]
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