3rd Place, Andrew Burton, USA

When Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, died in police custody on April 19, 2015, days after being arrested for possession of a switchblade knife, his death sparked massive protests throughout Baltimore. The riots brought attention to the city’s systemic inequality and the allegedly routine use of excessive force by police and prompted Maryland’s governor to declare a state of emergency, calling in the National Guard to quell both the protests and the resulting media attention. This series explores the days after Gray’s funeral and how the community’s actions influenced the national conversation around race relations and police treatment of America’s black community.