‘The Awakening,’ a Black Zebra documentary on George Floyd protests and social justice in Sacramento

As demonstrations filled the streets of Sacramento last summer, an independent film crew produced some of the most personal and compelling content.

Black Zebra gave viewers an on-the-ground view of the summer of 2020 following the police murder of George Floyd. Led by Khanstoshea and Jeoffrey Zingapan, the Black Zebra team instantly earned credibility with the thousands of protesters who took to the streets of Sacramento by capturing the events from the point of view of those demanding change.

After the Black Zebra team was detained by Sacramento police on June 1, 2020 — the first night of a mandatory curfew following a string of protests — The Sacramento Bee issued them press credentials and entered into a freelance contract with the team. Black Zebra eventually worked with their own press credentials.

Out of that partnership comes this full-length documentary. Click on the video above to watch. (A note to viewers: the documentary includes some graphic language and imagery.)

“We cannot thank our communities enough for the support, care and love they have shown us throughout this journey. From watching over us through our live streams to bringing us protective gear when we were getting shot, gassed and detained to the community members who would bring us a meal and a battery charger to make sure our 15-hour days were a little more comfortable, we cannot thank Sacramento enough!” Khanstoshea Zingapan said.

Jeoffrey Zingapan added: “We are thankful to be able to do this work, for us this is our passion, and being able to not only share that with people but using it to help change minds and souls is something much greater than purpose.”

Black Zebra has expanded its team over the past year, documenting social justice issues across the country and world. To support their work, visit their website at travelwithblackzebra.com

The Bee is offering this documentary outside of our paywall. That means you do not need a subscription to view it. We know we have much work left to do to properly serve all of our communities in this diverse region. But if you’d like to support our work — the kind of work produced by our Equity Lab every day – please consider a subscription.

This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 5:00 AM.