33 Years & Counting BLM

On the 20th February 1987, Clinton McCurbin, a 23 yr. old black man died, while being arrested for alleged shoplifting and use of a stolen credit card, in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. UK.

He died of asphyxia only minutes after two officers were called to the shop. His death outraged the black community. At the later inquest, to the dismay of the family, the jury returned a verdict of misadventure. On a bitterly cold day of high winds and driving snow more than 1,000 people marched through the city centre, a protest that once more ended in skirmishes with the police. 33 years later a similar incident took place in Minneapolis, USA, with the death of George Floyd.

I was a very young aspiring photographer. Terrified through my naivety, the thought of getting hurt and losing my glasses (I am visually impaired) I wanted to get a different vantage point. This image of the snow-covered heavy police lines was the result. Shot on film stock. The grain and halftone lend to the shot. 1987