All photos copyright Joe Gerace, 2020 (please email for usage permission)
Hundreds gathered on a sweltering June afternoon in Hackensack, NJ, to call for an end to police brutality against people of color in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others.
Organizers provided a platform for members of the crowd to step up to the microphone and share their thoughts. Many of those who spoke stressed the need for swift and definitive change to race relations in America, and the importance of community, solidarity, and voting — in local, state, and federal elections.
The peaceful rally convened from noon to 1 p.m. on Ward and State streets in Downtown Hackensack before protesters marched south toward the Bergen County Courthouse.
Uniformed Hackensack police officers blocked traffic to allow protesters to rally and march freely.
The death of Floyd sparked rallies and protests across the country and a handful of protests occurred in New Jersey over the past several days.