2003 –
Courage with a Camera
Darnella Frazier was 17 years old when she used her phone to record what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. She saw something very wrong taking place, and even though it was frightening, she kept recording.
Her video helped people around the world understand why many were protesting against police violence and unfair treatment. The video was also used in court as evidence. In 2021, Darnella received a special Pulitzer Prize citation for her courage.
Darnella’s story shows us that one person can make a difference. She was young, but she was brave. By recording the truth, she helped millions of people see what happened and helped bring attention to the need for justice.
Turning Witness into Art
The police body-camera image is a record of a terrible day. It shows Darnella Frazier standing nearby, phone in hand, bearing witness to the murder of George Floyd. The image is not beautiful. It was never meant to be. It is raw documentation of a moment that changed history.
When I painted Darnella, I wanted to hold onto the truth of that image while changing the way we see her. Through color and composition, I could move her out of the coldness of the body-cam still and into the space of portraiture. The painting becomes a way to honor her courage, her steadiness, and the importance of what she did. She was only seventeen, but by refusing to look away, she helped make sure the world could not look away either.