Janna Morton, a 2011 MICA graduate and freelance illustrator, attended the rallies and protests in Downtown Baltimore on Saturday, April 25. She was there from approximately 2 pm until 5:30 and took a number of images that reinforce her experience of a peaceful and orderly protest. Although headline news is focusing on the few violent outbursts that occurred, even including a few images completely unrelated to the protests, Morton’s experience shows the calm determination of hundreds of protestors and the positivity of the gathering.
“Several times I heard members of the crowd reminding others to stay peaceful and use the power of our words to affect change,” says Morton. “The news is only going to show the bad stuff, though, because misery gets bigger ratings. Don’t listen to that noise! Don’t let fear or disapproval of a small amount of the instigators keep you from supporting this very important cause.”
Thank you, all those who marched downtown in solidarity. It’s time for Maryland lawmakers to step up and take these concerns seriously.
Photographer Janna Morton is a Baltimore-based Illustrator.
Author Cara Ober is Editor at BmoreArt.