East Coast

From Robin Cohen/Herndon, Virginia

I recently heard a black political commentator talk about the multitude of cautions he drills into his teenaged sons. I was struck by the amount of “worry” black parents have, in particular for their sons. As a white mother of two sons, I thought about my worry list. The comparison is stark. While I’m sure black moms impart the same motherly advice as I do, I, on the flip side, have never thought it necessary to talk about ways to keep my sons safe from law enforcement.

As I write the above, it occurs to me that it is impossible for white people to truly understand the day-to-day pulsing anxiety black people experience. The horrific death of George Floyd is a grim reminder that this fear, and as a result, the above list, are a sobering necessity. It is sad and shameful that we keep returning to this awful place in our history.

From Barbara Collier/Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Holed up in my hometown of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I photographed two women who took their protests to the main square. The digital sign reads "THE MASK IS ALL WE ASK." The protest signs are "BLACK LIVES MATTER" and "I CAN'T BREATHE."

Day 3 today of protest rallies in Portsmouth! Things have certainly heated up in a good way. Thousands of enthusiastic changemakers! Mostly young and white.