John Adair Black Lives Matter protest photographs , 2020-2021

Overview of the Collection

Title
John Adair Black Lives Matter protest photographs
Dates
2020-2021 (inclusive)
Quantity
18.7 gigabyte(s), (350 digital image files)
1.08 linear feet, (1 container)  :  1 (15 x 12") flat box
Collection Number
PH 397
Summary
John Adair is a photographer and visual storyteller. His work has been featured in the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and published in Denali Magazine, Scribendi, and The Pitch KC. This collection consists of 350 original digital images and a selection of 10 images printed from the digital collection. The images feature documentary photography of the 2020-2021 Black Lives Matter protests and marches in Eugene, Oregon following the murder of George Floyd. Photographs contain images of march leaders, participants, protest signs, and counter-protestors.
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room.

Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Unprocessed digital materials: Digital image files are currently unavailable while being processed. No access will be granted until processing is complete. Once processed, access to these materials is restricted and governed by repository policy. Viewing the digital files may require the production of viewing copies. Researchers requiring access must notify Special Collections and University Archives in advance and fees for reproduction services as necessary. For further information, please contact Special Collections and University Archives.

Additional Reference Guides

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

John Adair is a photographer and visual storyteller. He has worked as a social media manager, photojournalist with Double Sided Media in Eugene, Oregon, and event photographer for community groups and civil rights organizations.

His work has been published in Denali Magazine, Scribendi, and The Pitch KC, and exhibited at galleries such as Maude Kerns and Auburn Art Gallery. He received a Black Lives Matter Artist Award for his 2021 project BLKGLD, a series of black and white portraits of his family members, which was featured at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.

Among photo series projects including "Scars" and "The Hunt," he has also created photo documentaries such as "Trucker Diaries," which features documentary photography of Adair's journey as a truck driver. Adair studies Multimedia Design at Lane Community College and aims to use his work to bring compelling stories to local communities.

Source: Adair, John. "About me." John Adair Photographs, 2021. Retrieved from: https://www.johnadairphotographs.com/bio

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The John Adair photograph collection consists of documentary photography taken during the 2020-2021 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests and marches in Eugene, Oregon. Protests began in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 26, 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, during an arrest by former police officer, Derek Chauvin. During the arrest, Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds as three other officers looked on and prevented passers-by from intervening.

Civil unrest and protests quickly emerged as part of international reactions to police brutality and racism. An estimated 15 to 26 million people across 2,000 cities and towns in over 60 countries participated in demonstrations to support the BLM movement. As of 2021, the George Floyd protests are the largest in U.S. history.

Adair's photographs show local BLM protests and march participants in Eugene, Oregon. Images consist of march leaders, protestors, protest signs, and counter-protestors. Some series include confrontations with counter-protestors, including counter-protestors from the "Blue Lives Matter" countermovement and supporters of former president, Donald Trump.

There are 350 original digital images and a selection of 10 (9.5 x 13") archival inkjet color images printed from the digital collection. The materials are foldered and housed in 1 flat box measuring 15 x 12" and arranged in the original order established by the photographer.

Sources: Buchanan, Larry; Bui, Quoctrung; Patel, Jugal. "Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History". The New York Times, July 3, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/03/us/george-floyd-protests-crowd-size

Levenson, Eric (March 29, 2021). "Former officer knelt on George Floyd for 9 minutes and 29 seconds -- not the infamous 8:46." CNN, March 29, 2021. Retrieved from: https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/29/us/george-floyd-timing-929-846/

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • African Americans--Civil rights--Oregon
  • Black lives matter movement
  • Documentary photography
  • Racial justice
  • Social justice
  • Social movements--United States