George Floyd, a black man raised in Houston, died in Minneapolis on May 25 after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. Video of Floyd’s death ignited protests in major American cities and all around the world, with the footage captured of his final moments serving as yet another example of police brutality against black people.

The deaths of other black men and women, like Mike Ramos, shot by police in Austin, or Breonna Taylor, killed by officers in Louisville, Kentucky, also fueled protesters’ rage and sorrow as they took to the streets night after night, where they were sometimes met with force. Texas’ largest cities — Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austinwere no exception, but the protests were not confined there.

From the far West Texas town of Alpine to Tyler in the northeast part of the state, from Midland in the Permian Basin to Edinburg near the Texas border with Mexico, from San Marcos to the deep southeast town of Vidor, Texans turned out to express their rage and their sorrow. Texas Tribune photographers across the state documented some of those protests.

First: Protesters held signs during a Black Lives Matter protest in Midland on May 31. Last: A protester walked down the middle of Eighth Street in Odessa on May 31. Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune

Demonstrators raised their hands at a May 31 protest in Midland.
Demonstrators raised their hands at a May 31 protest in Midland. Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune

First: Protesters carried signs condemning police brutality and in support of Black Lives Matter as they marched down Broadway Avenue in downtown Tyler on June 3. Last: Demonstrators march in Tyler in protest of the death of George Floyd. Credit: Courtesy of Sarah A. Miller/The Tyler Morning Telegraph

Protesters gathered June 10 at the Hays County Courthouse in San Marcos to denounce police brutality and the death of George Floyd.
Protesters gathered June 10 at the Hays County Courthouse in San Marcos to denounce police brutality and the death of George Floyd. Mikala Compton for The Texas Tribune
Hundreds of residents from Alpine and surrounding towns marched against the death of George Floyd on June 6.
Hundreds of residents from Alpine and surrounding towns marched against the death of George Floyd on June 6. Sarah M. Vasquez for The Texas Tribune

Protesters marched in memory of George Floyd in Vidor on June 6. Organizers of the rally in Vidor, historically known as a “sundown town,” said they wanted to change the reputation and move on from the past. Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune

Protesters gathered in Edinburg on May 30 to denounce the death of George Floyd during an arrest by Minneapolis police officers.
Protesters gathered in Edinburg on May 30 to denounce the death of George Floyd during an arrest by Minneapolis police officers. Steven Hughes for The Texas Tribune
Signs with names of black people who were killed due to police brutality were passed around during a Black Lives Matter protest June 10 at the Hays County Courthouse in San Marcos.
Signs with names of black people who were killed due to police brutality were passed around during a Black Lives Matter protest June 10 at the Hays County Courthouse in San Marcos. Mikala Compton for The Texas Tribune

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Miguel Gutierrez Jr. was The Texas Tribune's inaugural photo editor. He oversaw our photography operation, thinking strategically about how to tell visually rich stories about Texas government and politics...

John Jordan is the deputy director of photography, part of the team that ensures our stories are graced with arresting visuals. Based in Austin, John grew up in South America and has managed to hang on...