Katie Gardner
JUNE 2020
In the midst of a global pandemic, the ongoing murders of Black people at the hands of police, and specifically the publicly filmed killing of George Floyd, spurred protests around the world. Led mostly by young Black activists, thousands gathered at different protests around San Diego County. Chants of “No justice, no peace!”, “Say her name: Breonna Taylor!” and calls to defund the police were heard throughout. Businesses both locally and worldwide began to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, and time will tell if the quick actions of storefront signage and social media posts were performative or part of true, long-lasting change in the fight for racial justice.
NOVEMBER 2020
The day Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election, University Avenue through North Park and Hillcrest erupted with spontaneous joy and an impromptu car procession. The celebratory dancing, cheering, crying, and flag waving on a two mile walk felt much like they city was finally taking a collective deep breath with cautious hope for better days ahead.
