Black History Month is meant to celebrate the accomplishments of all black people, sure, but there has to be special mention for the role black women play in major protests.
In many cases, those roles have been captured by single, still images that tell powerful stories. This week, former NFL player and current filmmaker Matthew A. Cherry showcased those stories with a short and sweet series of images on Twitter.
The tweet was shared tens of thousands of times, and served as a reminder that, even when the protest revolves around the death of a black man, black women still put their bodies on the line.
I do mean "bodies on the line" literally, by the way.
Take the first photo in Cherry's series, which also happens to be the most recent image captured. That photo was captured by Reuters photographer, Jonathan Bachman.
Bachman was shooting images during the protests that took place in Baton Rouge after video of police killing 37-year-old Alton Sterling sparked outrage.
It's during those protest that Leshia Evans was arrested while standing in front of a literal line police had established.
When Bachman caught the photo, he knew he'd captured a good image, but even he couldn't predict how much success a picture of a black woman, so unbothered by police could have.
A woman standing calmly, her long dress moving in the breeze, two police officers in full riot gear make their move... When I came back to my car and looked through my take I knew I had a strong image. However I didn't anticipate that the image would go viral. I am grateful that it has stimulated a discussion about an important issue in this country.
Of course, there are many other examples of these eye-catching photos floating around the internet, and that's because there is no shortage black women willing to demand justice from the law even if it means literally going head-to-head with the law.
There's no time like Black History Month to point that out.
Citations: Huffington Post
