WE PROTEST
The People Have The Power
Fists raised skyward, tears streaming down faces, a great intermingling of demographics; We Protest portrays the magnificent convergence of a people expressing their anger, frustration, and grappling resolve to set in motion some aspect of tangible change within the U.S. Covering all recent and major issues from gender equality to immigration, gun control to environmentalism, the #MeToo movement to fundamental civil rights — the book showcases the immeasurable strength in numbers and the raw human ability to continually persevere.
Tish Lampert attended her first protest in New York City at the age of 19 with a new Nikon 35mm camera in hand. “I was protesting with countless others from all walks of life in our opposition to the segregationist and extremist candidacy of George Wallace for President,” Lampert tells PROVOKR. “The experience was an eye-opener for me because I saw firsthand how peaceful, non-violent protesters were arrested and victimized. This first protest was a catalyst for me as I chose to focus my work on those who struggle for human rights, justice, and socioeconomic opportunity.”
Since her first encounter with protests, the photojournalist has striven to highlight the struggles of those marginalized and underrepresented both in the U.S. and around the world. As the polarization of American beliefs has grown increasingly distinct in the past 20 years, each sided swooping viciously away from the other, Lampert has been present to photograph. Through this form of documentation, the endeavors and struggles of protesters have been etched into history; evidence of the masses of people dedicated to seeing a more promising future. “I admit to asking myself, “How successful have we been in our efforts to mobilize? What have the protests been able to accomplish?” I think we will need to look back in time to assess their success. I do know that we need to believe our voice matters,” says Lampert.
Yet, history seems to repeats itself as issues continue to come full circle without meaningful resolution; a vicious cycle of hurt and injustice. When speaking on a 2013 protest that took place in the throws of a numbing December day, Lampert says, “12-year-old Tamir Rice had just been shot by police. We had just seen Eric Garner killed in New York and John Crawford III was fatally shot in Walmart for picking up a [BB] gun. I came to that protest not as a photojournalist, but as a mother.” Now photographing the current protests in LA, at a time that feels more imperative, more paramount than any other, Lampert expresses her deep-seated faith in the momentum of social change. “I can feel it on the streets,” urges Lampert. “People are resolute in a way that is powerful. The protests […] have inspired a seminal moment in our nation’s history. We are being asked to be stronger and to not allow the momentum to die without a new day in the United States.”
