Baton Rouge, La.: Quinyetta McMillon says her final goodbye to Alton Sterling with a kiss as their 15-year-old son Cameron looks on with tears. They are flanked by relatives who rushed to the front to say goodbye for the final time.Radcliffe Roye for TIME
As Radcliffe “Ruddy” Roye spent the last ten days crisscrossing America for TIME, documenting the mood of three cities—Dallas to Baton Rouge, La., and Minneapolis—thrown into the spotlight after a string of deaths, one emotion kept coming back: “There was a feeling of hopelessness that kept gnawing at me whenever I found myself documenting a story,” the Brooklyn-based photographer says.
Roye came away with the feeling that there’s still a “steep mountain to climb,” he says, before the U.S. can make up “the ground that would lead to equality and reconciliation.”
“I felt that people were more focused on distractions like color [than] the real issues in front of them,” he adds. “Issues like neighborhood development; health, which includes mental health; drugs; prostitution; gun control; employment and poverty.”
Roye’s description of what he saw is of something that might be described as class warfare, an attitude that he says perpetuates the palpable divisions of American society, both within and between racial groups. “I get the feeling that there are some folks in our society that people see as ‘untouchables,'” he tells TIME. “And although no one will come out and say it, if people are truly honest with themselves they will see that they do see and treat people differently depending on their class.”
But, Roye also recorded moments of hope.
In Baton Rouge, he met two pastors who worked with ex-convicts to register them to vote. And he also met a couple, Mike and Jill Kantrow, who talked candidly about what it was like to raise their six children in this nation at this time—and was struck by how they were careful to make sure that their children encountered a diverse group of people in their lives.
“It was their way of reaching out and making sure they were raising their children to be aware and concerned about their surroundings,” he says. “It was [also] their way of doing their part to help the community they were grew up in.”
“We need more of this,” adds Roye. “We need patrons, friends, support groups, people from the other side of the bridge who are willing to share their privilege.”
Ruddy Roye is a documentary photographer based in Brooklyn. Follow him on Instagram @ruddyroye.
Marie Tobias, who edited this photo essay, is an Associate Photo Editor at TIME.
Olivier Laurent is the editor of TIME LightBox. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @olivierclaurent
Ruddy Roye recalls some of the people he met on this assignment: Baton Rouge, La: Cameron Sterling and his mother Quinyetta. Cameron, 15 years old, is posing
with a composite image he made using a picture of himself and an old picture he had of his father. "The police took his phone so all the pictures he took are gone with his phone," he told me. Radcliffe Roye for TIMEBaton Rouge, La.: Quinyetta McMillon says her final goodbye to Alton Sterling with a kiss as their 15-year-old son Cameron looks on with tears. They are flanked by relatives who rushed to the front to say goodbye for the final time.Radcliffe Roye for TIMEBaton Rouge, La: Fifteen-year-old Cameron Sterling succumbs to the pain as he is led
out of the funeral of his father, Alton Sterling, accompanied by the Rev.
Jesse Jackson Sr. The funeral was held at the Southern University A&M
College on July 15, 2016.Radcliffe Roye for TIMEBaton Rouge, LA: Fifteen-year-old Cameron Sterling collapses
outside the church. He is led out of the funeral of his father, Alton
Sterling, accompanied by the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. The funeral was held at
the Southern University A&M College on July 15, 2016.Radcliffe Roye for TIMEBaton Rouge, La: Abdullah Muflahi pulled out his cell phone because he was protecting his friend. Since filming Alton Sterling’s death, Muflahi has
had to seek council from a lawyer.
"I saw that it was escalating from him being tasered to being tackled and pinned down. The video tape caught the rest. It's been really hectic. I have been traumatized, I haven't slept, I haven't spent any time with my two children. He was my friend. He was one of the first people I met when I came from Detroit. He showed me love immediately. He made me feel welcomed. He showed me who to trust and how to live here in Baton Rouge I am going to miss him."
On July 5th, not only did Mr. Sterling lose his life, but Mr. Muflahi lost his liberty, says Muflahi¹s attorney, Joel G. Porter. Radcliffe Roye for TIMEBaton Rouge, La: Dhoruba Shakur walked confidently up to the memorial to pay his respects.
He didn't smile or speak to anyone. He told me as succinctly as he could,
"I am here to raise awareness." With a little more prodding, Mr. Shakur
said that he just wanted to come to the spot where Alton Sterling had
died to get a sense of what was happening in the community. "I wanted to
let the community know they don't have to put up with this s--t. The
community cannot be intimated by the police. I am here exercising my
right to open carry because I believe that a firearm can deter criminals.
It's messed up that they murdered him, and regardless if he had a gun or
not, he should not have lost his life. There is a penalty for having an
illegal weapon if that is what they are saying he is guilty of. It's call
due process."Radcliffe Roye for TIMEBaton Rouge, La: A small group of Florida residents got out of an Uber car, all of them
carrying arms. They were here, as they put it, to "give their support" at
the Alton Sterling memorial.
Andy, who spoke for them, said they were driving from Florida to Dallas sharing the idea of
making America Great Again by exercising and upholding the second amendment.
Their theme; #americamatters. "We still believe in life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness," he said. However, after a brief debate with residents
of Baton Rouge who felt that their rhetoric and presence was offensive, they
were asked to leave.Radcliffe Roye for TIMEBaton Rouge, La: Pallbearers, some crying, just before being charged
with the task of taking the casket of Alton Sterling out to the awaiting hearse.Radcliffe Roye for TIMEBaton Rouge, La: "Yes Sir, June like the month," he said with a half smile. June has taken up the responsibility of helping to feed the small gathering that congregates in front of the Triple S Food Mart to pay their respects and grieve over the death of Alton Sterling. "I am here for everyone. Whoever comes here and need food I got them," he said.Radcliffe Roye for TIMEBaton Rouge, La: She came to the funeral and stood in the back briefly. She stood in one
place silently saying what she needed to say.Radcliffe Roye for TIMESt. Paul, Minn.: Protestors who have set up camp
in front of the Governor's mansion in St Paul remembered
Philando Castile today with a 33-balloon salute on what would have been his 33rd birthday.Radcliffe Roye for TIMESt. Paul, Minn.: Valerie Castile spent most of her time under the tent that housed the free
cupcakes she was giving out to passersby. "I am coping by the
Grace of God and the spirit of my son," she said. "We have to make some changes, and I
am working on that."
The Phifer family from Minneapolis stopped by the tent to give their
condolences and grab a cupcake. Valerie Castile did not say no to a hug or a
quick word. "Seeing what can happen to Philando is an awakening for everyone," Kathy Phifer told me, "It is
like the straw that broke the camel back."Radcliffe Roye for TIMEDallas, Tex.: Officers belonging to the Dallas Police Department set up barriers around
their police station after receiving word of a bomb threat.Radcliffe Roye for TIMEDallas, Tex: Residents and community leaders disrupted the peaceful flow of a town hall
meeting held yesterday at the Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas. During the question-and-answer section of the event, many community
leaders became irate and expressed their anger towards the one-sided
nature of the talks. This father, who spoke slowly and with intent,
expressed his distaste for the way his community is being policed.Radcliffe Roye for TIMEDallas, Tex: Daylon, Saveon, and Kevon were all riding their bicycles when I stopped them to talk about what was going on in Dallas.
"It's too sad. The police arrest people who don't have a driver's license. They should go after the robbers and killers instead," Daylon (middle) said.
Savion (right) said the police should leave guys who sell drugs. They should be able to continue to sell drugs."
Daylon, "No!!!!!! They should send them to prison for life .. What if the drugs kill people."
"The place is quiet now," Kevon (left) added.
Radcliffe Roye for TIME
