White Coats for Black Lives demonstration at Emory

Metro Atlanta

Photos: White Coats for Black Lives demonstration at Emory

Photos of doctors, nurses, medical students and other health care workers who took a knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds at the Emory University Quadrangle in Decatur on Friday, June 5, 2020, in memory of George Floyd "and countless others."

June 5, 2020 Decatur - Foreground from left, Max Schubert, MD, Micky Davis (Nurse Practitioner), Thien Le, MD, and Yvonne Little, MD, take a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives at Emory University Quadrangle on Emory University campus in Decatur on Friday, June 5, 2020. Doctors these days are finding themselves at the intersection of America's race debate: giving advice to protestors on how to protect their eyes from tear gas and speaking their frustration at seeing people of color disproportionately sickened by COVID-19. On Friday at 1pm, a group organized by Emory med students is taking a knee at Emory University for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

June 5, 2020 Decatur - Emory medical students, doctors, nurses and other health care staff take a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives at Emory University Quadrangle on Emory University campus in Decatur on Friday, June 5, 2020. Doctors these days are finding themselves at the intersection of America's race debate: giving advice to protestors on how to protect their eyes from tear gas and speaking their frustration at seeing people of color disproportionately sickened by COVID-19. On Friday at 1pm, a group organized by Emory med students is taking a knee at Emory University for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

June 5, 2020 Decatur - Linda Brown (foreground), RN, is one of Emory medical students, doctors, nurses and other health care staff gathering to take a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives at Emory University Quadrangle on Emory University campus in Decatur on Friday, June 5, 2020. Doctors these days are finding themselves at the intersection of America's race debate: giving advice to protestors on how to protect their eyes from tear gas and speaking their frustration at seeing people of color disproportionately sickened by COVID-19. On Friday at 1pm, a group organized by Emory med students is taking a knee at Emory University for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

June 5, 2020 Decatur - Emory medical students, doctors, nurses and other health care staff including Alexa Levey, (foreground) MD, take a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives at Emory University Quadrangle on Emory University campus in Decatur on Friday, June 5, 2020. Doctors these days are finding themselves at the intersection of America's race debate: giving advice to protestors on how to protect their eyes from tear gas and speaking their frustration at seeing people of color disproportionately sickened by COVID-19. On Friday at 1pm, a group organized by Emory med students is taking a knee at Emory University for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

June 5, 2020 Decatur - Emory medical students, doctors, nurses and other health care staff gathered to take a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives at Emory University Quadrangle on Emory University campus in Decatur on Friday, June 5, 2020. Doctors these days are finding themselves at the intersection of America's race debate: giving advice to protestors on how to protect their eyes from tear gas and speaking their frustration at seeing people of color disproportionately sickened by COVID-19. On Friday at 1pm, a group organized by Emory med students is taking a knee at Emory University for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

June 5, 2020 Decatur - Stephanie Drew, surgeon, DMD, holds her iPhone to take a selfie group photograph as Emory medical students, doctors, nurses and other health care staff gathered to take a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives at Emory University Quadrangle on Emory University campus in Decatur on Friday, June 5, 2020. Doctors these days are finding themselves at the intersection of America's race debate: giving advice to protestors on how to protect their eyes from tear gas and speaking their frustration at seeing people of color disproportionately sickened by COVID-19. On Friday at 1pm, a group organized by Emory med students is taking a knee at Emory University for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Standing at right with his fist in the air, Dr. Johnny Johnson, a gastroenterologist and an African American, said he was "inspired" to see the multiracial turnout, and that that gave him hope. He said he did not kneel because George Floyd was killed via kneeling. "Kneeling to me means submission. And I m not really submissive at this point." Emory medical students organized a gathering Friday, June 5, 2020 at Emory University called White Coats for Black Lives, that grew to include doctors, nurses and other health care providers at the university and at six other of the health system's hospitals, a total of seven. More than 100 health care workers at Emory Decatur Hospital, formerly Dekalb Medical Center, took a knee on June 5, 2020 in memory of George Floyd and others, for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time Floyd was under a Minneapolis policeman's knee. (PHOTO by Ariel Hart / ahart@ajc.com)

As part of a "White Coats for Black Lives" demonstration organized by Emory University medical students, more than 500 physicians, nurses, and staff from across departments at Grady Memorial Hospital knelt for eight minutes and 46 seconds on Friday, June 6, 2020, in memory of George Floyd and others who have been victims of racial injustice. Grady Memorial Hospital is staffed by Emory University doctors. Grady officials said teams from each of its neighborhood health centers and infectious disease center took part. SPECIAL TO THE AJC

1/12

June 5, 2020 Decatur - Foreground from left, Max Schubert, MD, Micky Davis (Nurse Practitioner), Thien Le, MD, and Yvonne Little, MD, take a knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives at Emory University Quadrangle on Emory University campus in Decatur on Friday, June 5, 2020. Doctors these days are finding themselves at the intersection of America's race debate: giving advice to protestors on how to protect their eyes from tear gas and speaking their frustration at seeing people of color disproportionately sickened by COVID-19. On Friday at 1pm, a group organized by Emory med students is taking a knee at Emory University for eight minutes and 46 seconds in memory of George Floyd "and countless others," in a demonstration they call White Coats for Black Lives. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Today's Gallery Headlines

Alerts

PHOTOS: Georgia upset by Ole Miss in Sugar Bowl

PHOTOS: Georgia prepares for Sugar Bowl

PHOTOS: Atlanta welcomes 2026 with fireworks, drone show

PHOTOS: The final print run of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

'No body' homicide cases in Georgia

PHOTOS: Renderings of Stitch project over Atlanta's Downtown Connector

Photos: Atlanta Pride Parade 2025

Photos: Splish Splash Doggie Bash at Piedmont Park