"I fight with my camera" - Charles Moore

          This week was the most eventful week I have had in a very long time, possibly in my entire life. Humanity is a funny creature, possibly the most unpredictable creature to walk the face of the earth. Maybe just because of the things that we as humans are capable of doing. We can build each other up and we can tear each other down. My calling is to tell stories through images that otherwise could not be told any other way. This week has been an attention-grabbing week for our state. First was the presidential candidate, Donald Trump, who came to High Point University on Tuesday for a rally.

            Three of my classmates and I went to High Point Tuesday morning and after a media bus and security checkpoint, we were denied access to the rally. However, after walking around campus we found a group that was trying to counteract Trumps hate with love. This body of university students gathered and voiced their opinions with an open mic setting. Lastly, closing with the song “Imagine” by John Lennon. As I hummed and sung along with it in my head I just watched how this group just laid aside their differences and the hatred and came to a commonality, to show love, not hate. Though my views might be different than most of the participants, it was heart warming to see such friendship and love in a crowd that large. On the contrary, I was unaware what was going on in Charlotte.

            I didn’t find out about the shooting of Keith Scott till Wednesday morning. Immediately as soon as I saw my photojournalism instructor, Jay Capers, I asked: “would it be worth going?” After he explained the magnitude of what was possible to come of this, a classmate and I decided that we were going to go and document what unfolded.

Pulling into Charlotte that evening the sunlight hit the tops of the towers as the sun began to beautiful city, leaving nothing but destruction and hatred behind. Tear gas filled the streets as revulsion came from the mouths of rioters and unity of protesters as they voiced their opinions.
set. It almost had a cinematic look to it. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the chaos that was about to come in this city. Protestors lined the sidewalks getting denser as we were reaching closer to Marshall Park where protesters would start their march. Everything started peacefully and then the crowd started marching to a church. However, a group split off and we followed them, they marched to the Charlotte police department. Here they pounded on the front doors demanding “justice” by chanting, “If we don’t get no justice, you don’t get no peace.” Cheers abruptly rang out as they brought down the American Flag and had it resting on the ground to show humiliation to this great nation. And from there the chaos unfolded very rapidly. As the group went further into the heart of this

Like I said earlier I am fascinated with all that the human race is capable of. In the aspect that we can encourage and build each other up or we can build walls and attempt to destroy others. The human race is a powerful creature we are capable of accomplishing magnificent things and also terrible things. Which one will you choose to do?