Say Her Name

EOS 100D / 24mm EF-S

1/30, f5.6, ISO 200

Breonna Taylor died in 2020. Students put up these simple flyers at the time, just basic text “SAY HER NAME” printed on regular letter paper.

Five years later, the sign persists. Is someone putting up fresh prints? I’m not sure, but I don’t think so. The noticeboard, like on all campuses a weird, hectic thing that evolves in fits and bursts, understands the sign should not be moved or obscured. It stays there, a simple and vivid thing.

Truth is these boards are not as effective as they used to be. Reaching students can be difficult. But we still walk past these things every day, and they live in our space.

I’m not crazy about the shot. I know what my message is but I’m not anywhere near executing it the way I want. I still like it; the photograph says something to me. I also like the distance, a kind of medium shot. The context of all the other fliers is important, though the only one I really need to be legible is the “SAY HER NAME” poster. Light is… not the best. I don’t mind the shadows but the overall palette just isn’t very good.

This is a spot I will come back to with my camera.