As the pandemic progressed throughout the spring of 2020, the American West would soon become embroiled in a wave of political activism involving two presidential impeachment processes; the nomination and election of the first African American woman vice president; the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the controversial nomination to replace her; and the Black Lives Matter protests following the highly publicized deaths of George Floyd and others at the hands of law enforcement. 

Related to the Black Lives Matter movement, COVID-19 has not only more heavily impacted African Americans—despite shelter-in-place orders—but has also laid bare how the Black community continues to disproportionately face racial discrimination, bias, and profiling. 

The images below show how the Black Lives Matter marches unfolded and how those involved in the movement responded.