Photojournalists capture untold stories of Richmond's 2020 protests in powerful exhibition

RICHMOND, Va. — Two powerful new exhibitions featuring gripping photographs of the 2020 Richmond protests are now open at The Branch Museum of Design, bringing untold voices to the forefront.

Richmond Free Press photojournalists Regina Boone and Sandra Sellars have worked in Richmond for more than three decades. Together, they covered the 2020 Richmond protests extensively.

"The two of us were on the streets for more than 60 days, up to 65 days consecutively during 2020, documenting the uprisings and the expressions of hope that people were fighting for on the streets of Richmond," Boone said.

Provided to WTVR

Sellars recalled getting "pepper-sprayed and tear-gassed with everyone else."

"We saw the tension. We saw all of those things, but at the same time, we were both struck by the camaraderie, the friendships that people formed," Sellars said.

From their boots-on-the-ground coverage and a previous showing in 2022, "(re)Framing Protest (NOW): Design + Hope," is back at the Branch Museum of Design with a focus on the present.

"We added the 'NOW' in parentheses because of the importance of where we are today," Boone said. "The here and the now — in 2025 — that these pictures could be taken today, this exhibit is relevant to today."

The exhibit captures intimate moments that moved a nation, revealing the spirit of activism throughout the city.

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"You'll see pictures of quiet moments. You'll see pictures of moments where people are holding up signs, making signs, are marching, are dancing, are speaking out in fierce ways," Boone said.

Sellars said she talked to journalists and others who were afraid to venture to the protest sites. She said she was not scared.

"It was, it was oddly a kind of calmness," Sellars said. "I just did what I had to do."

Through their lenses, Boone and Sellars recorded the raw emotion and hope of a community of people.

"Sandra and I are specific about what we stand for," Boone said. "The Richmond Free Press is specific about what we stand for. And what you'll take away from these images are what the people of Richmond are specific for what they stand for. And that is racial equality and justice and for all people, for all races."

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It's something Boone's father, the late Ray Boone, founder, editor and publisher of the Richmond Free Press, was very passionate about.

"And people will say, 'Oh my gosh, I hear Ray Boone.' And sometimes I used to get upset about that," Boone acknowledged. "But you know what, my dad, he knew the truth then when people doubted him, and he knows the truth now and he's with us."

A collective body of work shows the human spirit during a time stamped in history.

"Sometimes we weren't safe, but other times we were very safe because we were amongst people, peaceful people who were there trying to convey change and trying to voice their opinions," Boone said.

WTVR

Sellars said she hopes people walk away from the exhibit with a better understanding of the protests.

"I would like for people to get the sense of community that was formed at the monuments," Sellars said. "And the sense of calmness and peace and just take away the fact that the people are human beings."

Visitors can see "(re)Framing Protest (NOW): Design + Hope" and "Echoes of Us," an exhibit exploring the evolving nature of Black identity featuring the work of S. Ross Browne and other Black Virginia artist, through July 12 at the Branch Museum of Design on Monument Avenue.

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