'Gorgeous, legendary': Black woman in flowing dress facing police in Baton Rouge wows social media
A picture of an unarmed young black woman in a long dress, standing calmly in front of two police officers in full riot gear who arrest her during a Black Lives Matter protest has awed social media. Users called the image “legendary” and “symbolic.”
The powerful photo was taken by Reuters photographer Jonathan Bachman during the Black Lives Matter rally in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. People had gathered to protest police brutality following the shooting of African-American Alton Sterling.
The picture was reportedly shot near police headquarters – the woman in floating dress stands right in front of two police officers in full gear. She looks calm and peaceful confronting the men who are approaching to arrest her.
Grace personified “@PaladinCornelia: #BatonRougepic.twitter.com/RKJTarw33R”
— Athena Rising (@AthenaRising) July 10, 2016
Later, it was revealed that the woman’s name is Ieshia Evans and she is the mother of a five-year-old son. The woman who works as a nurse decided to take part in the protest because she wanted a better future for her child, according to social media.
The picture, in fact, captured the moment she was arrested by police. She spent 24 hours in jail, the Daily Mail reported.
“I am a vessel! Glory to the most high! I'm glad I'm alive and safe. And that there were no casualties that I have witnessed firsthand,” Evans wrote on her Facebook page following her release.
Baton Rouge PD: "How many space marines should we deploy to deal with the young woman in a dress? Ten? Fifteen?" pic.twitter.com/80vKOuCkuG
— Gray Gunter (@graygunter) July 10, 2016
Social media users immediately called the image a symbol of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“This is a legendary picture. It will be in history and art books from this time,” Jami West, a Facebook user wrote, while another user Danna Dennis added: “She looks so firmly planted, yet petite and small compared to them with their large armor. All that heavy gear, yet she is unmoved.”
Jonathan Bachman's #BatonRouge protest photo will become as iconic as "woman in red" during 2013 protests in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/igMnWOdL4g
— Mr S (@MrSCzech) July 11, 2016
“She stands tall, shoulders back as a testament that black lives do matter and she will not be moved… It's such a gorgeous image and very powerful,” Shelly Burrows wrote.
Do you think they are all rushing to ask this lovely lady to dance?
— Cornelia (@PaladinCornelia) July 10, 2016
No.
I think not.#BatonRougepic.twitter.com/MG8q3wfPkR
“Power and beauty”, “She's not even moving”, “Like a queen greeting peasants” were other comments on Facebook.
Bachman described to the Atlantic magazine how the woman inspired him to capture such a powerful photo.
“I had turned to look over my right shoulder, I think that I had heard this women say something about she was going to be arrested, and I saw this woman, and she was standing in the first lane in that road,” he said.
