“No More…” was a campaign initially born out of the frustration surrounding the Ahmaud Arbery case in Georgia. The cases of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd only adding fuel to the raging fire in the process of creating this work. Scenarios like these are becoming all too common in this country. As a result of systemic racism and a lack of justice being served in these cases, black people have been forced to essentially “shelter in place” for our entire existence. Sadly, this is not new to us. Coming out of this pandemic, it is imperative that we not go back to business as usual, as that never quite worked for people of color.
In lieu of the enormity of the social media activity beginning to take shape online, I wanted to provide a call to action that would give everyone, including my friends and colleagues of different races, a helpful platform to show their support in an actionable way.
NO MORE HASHTAGS. WE NEED JUSTICE.
This :30 piece is thought-provoking and causes everyone to think about their privileges and the normal activities that we often take for granted.
Due to an inability to shoot in person as a result of COVID, the campaign highlights the normal, joyous activities of African Americans experiencing the fullness of life (driving, jogging, socializing) via stock footage and how these very activities sadly lead to any one person not making it home to their families.
I wanted to bring awareness to something we all inherently know as black people, that unfortunately life outside of the four walls in which we live, is much different for us. While everyone wishes to go back to their normal lives, which is understandable, normalcy in this country for black Americans often equals fear of law enforcement, constant bias and a sheer disregard for the breath in our lungs.
Parents and guardians are having to inform their children before they even go outside to play that although they’re being taught to love everyone, not everyone loves them. This campaign says ‘No More…” No more of this ‘normalcy’ and no more of these hashtags. Together, with acknowledgement and with action we can move forward.
The piece ends with the voice of an innocent little boy asking his father it's ok to "go outside now," followed by the simple onscreen directive ‘DON’T JUST POST SOMETHING | DO SOMETHING’ with links to organizations that can help a viewer start a petition, donate, and support anti-racist political candidates.
The :30 video, riveting images and animated hashtag video component sparked a lot of conversations amongst the target audience. It also led to further engagement and involvement with the following organizations:
ACT
Change.org
Southern Poverty Law Center – Report Hate
JOIN
The Action Pac – To support candidates running for office who will challenge racist policies
Color of Change – The largest racial justice organization in the United States
Black Lives Matter
Know Your Rights Camp – Organization devoted to the advancement of black and brown communities through education and mass-mobilization.
