Amadou Kromah witnessed the birth of a new civil rights movement through his camera lens. Long hours of hauling camera equipment and dodging police launched tear gas didn’t stop him.
The killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer ignited protestors of all ages, race and economic status across the nation and globally. As protesters marched through the streets to demand justice and shine a light on systemic racism, Kromah was there photographing the historical movement, while taking a stance for righteousness along the way.
“It was amazing,” said Kromah, an award-winning Madison photographer and owner of Akromah Photography. “Being able to capture these photographs was very moving for me. I was too young to march when Tony Robison was killed by police. I was excited that I could part of this movement.”
He has received local and national accolades for his photography, capturing the likes of iconic music legends Earth, Wind & Fire, Patti Labelle, Wynton Marsalis, and John Legend, among others. This summer, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with racial reckoning, Kromah photographed Black power fists, enraged marchers and police in riot gear.
“I’m hoping people will see the hope for tomorrow, but also the determination in their faces. No matter what, they are not giving up,” the La Follette High School alumni said.
UMOJA dedicated the next few pages to showcase Kromah’s moving images captured on our state capital streets.
