A protester stands in front of bearcats as people are cleared out of the area Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in Kenosha. The protests were in response to police shooting and wounding Jacob Blake. Angela Major/WPR
Starting this summer as Wisconsin Public Radio’s first dedicated photojournalist, I was tasked with capturing a challenging year, to say the least.
And of course the COVID-19 pandemic was a huge factor on both sides of the camera — as I captured the coronavirus’ impact on Wisconsin and its people, it also presented new hurdles in my work as a photojournalist, doing my best to keep myself and those around me safe and healthy.
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As I look back on the photos and stories from 2020, I am reminded of how these challenges touched every part of our lives.
Shyne Marie of Milwaukee yells with the crowd facing police in riot gear Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in Kenosha. Angela Major/WPRA protester holds a banner at the front of the crowd of marchers Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in Kenosha. Angela Major/WPRTammy Brooks of Fontana, Wis., receives a COVID-19 test from a member of the Wisconsin National Guard on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, in Walworth. Angela Major/WPRVice President Mike Pence speaks at Morning Star Dairy on Friday, July 17, 2020, in Onalaska, Wis. Angela Major/WPR11-year-old Veronica Schaller holds a “Make America Great Again” hat while listening to Vice President Mike Pence speak at Morning Star Dairy on Friday, July 17, 2020, in Onalaska, Wis. Angela Major/WPRA protest attendee closes her eyes while kneeling at the Stike for Black Lives on Monday, July 20, 2020, in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPRNine-year-old Ian Brick, a member of Happy Valley 4-H, wears a mask as he shows his animal Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, at the Brown County Fair. Angela Major/WPRBallot counter Brian Eucalano walks past absentee ballots submitted in the August primary Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2020, in Milwaukee, Wis. Angela Major/WPRPresident Donald Trump speaks in Oshkosh, Wis., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. Angela Major/WPRMatt Feinberg of Franklin, Wis., watches the final day of the DNC from his car Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Angela Major/WPRFive-year-old Karter Coleman whose family lives in the neighborhood where Jacob Blake was shot and wounded by police gets a haircut from Kenosha barber Quita Pompy on Tuesday, Sep. 1, 2020. Pompy decided to volunteer to give haircuts on her day off. Angela Major/WPRA man in a “Make America Great Again” hat, left, and a protest atendee, right, fight after a tense argument Tuesday, Sep. 1, 2020, in Kenosha. Both men threw punches in the fight. Angela Major/WPRPresident Donald Trump approaches a sea of supporters Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, at the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport in Janesville, Wis. Angela Major/WPRA farm in Coon Valley, Wis., is surrounded by fall colors Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. Angela Major/WPR7-year-old Makaila Arrington, center, gets a sticker from a poll worker while standing with her mother, Crystal Arrington, and her brother, Jacen, right, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, at Fifty-Third Street School in Milwaukee, Wis. Angela Major/WPRCece Lee, left, and Madeline Strasburg, right, dance Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Madison, Wis., after former Vice President Joe Biden was announced the winner of the 2020 presidential election. Angela Major/WPRSupporters of former Vice President Joe Biden walk near the Wisconsin State Capitol on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Madison, Wis. Angela Major/WPRA supporter of President Donald Trump holds a flag during a rally Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, outside the Wisconsin State Capitol. Angela Major/WPRA member of the Wisconsin National Guard administers a COVID-19 test Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, at Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, Wis. Angela Major/WPRChristina Brahos, a registered nurse, uses wipes after caring for a patient with COVID-19 on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, at UW Hospital. Angela Major/WPRNurses and doctors at UW Hospital walk through a hallway Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, in one of the hospital’s COVID-19 units, where patients are treated for the disease. Angela Major/WPR