The spring and summer of 2020 has drastically affected life, arts, entertainment, education, institutions, businesses, and culture in the United States and across the globe.  Much of the unrest is due to the Covid-19 with everyday citizens being told to stay home, do not go to work, and do not go to school.  This edict via executive orders from government and health officials has had a chilling side effect on all our lives resulting in peaceful and violent protests with deadly results.

America has had its share of protests in its history.  The birth of the United States was based on protests from colonial rule by Great Britain. The American Civil War was based on emancipating Blacks from slavery by the southern states. The civil rights movement of the 1960’s was based on ensuring the rights of Blacks based on the Constitution’s that all men are created equal and the fight against Jim Crow laws and discriminatory practices by many American institutions (government, education, business, retail, etc.). The 1970’s saw protests against the war in Viet Nam.

Many of these protests were peaceful.

The video-taped death of George Floyd, a Black man living in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Minneapolis policemen has stirred a nation to protest again. Protests against George Floyd’s death, protests against police brutality, and protests that Black Lives Matter in the United States.

Many protests were peaceful, yet a subset of the protests turned violent.

In this issue, FSM photographers and writers document the spring and summer of 2020's protests, riots, and its aftermath. The magazine features an article by Brad Elliot on transformative incidents that have shaped our society. Monique Walker interviews Rochelle Johnson, artist and painter.