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One day in June of 2020, nearly half a million people showed up in 550-plus locations across the United States for a movement they all believed in, a movement that captured the world’s attention. This was the Black Lives Matter movement. Drew Clements was there.

Clements found himself standing at the forefront of a historical moment as he captured powerful photos of the Black Lives Matter marches in Des Moines. A graduate of Grand View University, Clements found a love for photography his junior year when his parents gifted him a camera. Photography, he decided, was more than a hobby; it became his passion. Clements went on to double-major in photography and graphic design.

Clements has positive memories of his time at GV. He was raised in Newton, Iowa, where he always felt different from his peers. When Clements attended college, he felt right at home with his classmates and teammates.

Clements will never forget his first day at GV.

“When I stepped onto campus at GV, there were other people just like me, and for the first time it felt like home,” Clements said. 

Clements ran track and played football while attending GV. He met both men and women of color and when the Black Lives Matter marches began, Clements knew he wanted to get involved.

“What got me involved and what really made me want to do something was wanting to stand up for my brothers, for the ones that might not speak up, or don’t know what to say, but need that equality,” Clements said.

lements decided to bring his camera along one day to the Black Lives Matter marches in Des Moines. 

“When I took my camera, I didn’t know what I was going to do with it, but as I started taking pictures and I started seeing the chants … I saw how much love was in the marches” Clements said. “I wanted to use photography for not just me, but for the people there and the generations after us. June 7th, I was standing at the capitol building watching all these people come up and I started to tear up because it was one of the most powerful, beautiful things, how Des Moines showed up.” 

Clements captured some powerful photos during the Black Lives Matter marches. One particularly powerful image was of a  demonstrator who had started to cry. The image, to Clements, was a photo worth a thousand words.

“It really showed the emotion behind everything going on,”Clements said. 

Clements edits most of his photos in black and white for emotional reasons as well.

“Black and white seemed to fit the mood or feeling I was trying to show and get across,” Clements said. “I felt like it made the photo, events, people and marches more impactful and stronger.”

A moment that stands out to Clements was when one of his photos from the Black Lives Matter marches was featured on the National Geographic “Your Shot” Instagram account, which has 5.3 million followers.

Clements’ GV roommate and good friend Tobias Tyler described what makes Clements a good photographer. 

“He has a very good eye, and his compositions are really well done; like in the marches and the protest, he captures those moments really well,” Tyler said. “Me being a photographer as well, he does stuff that I wouldn’t do. I love the work that he does. I can sense his passion for everything through his photography; that’s what I like about his images. As a photographer there isn’t much you can do for the Black Lives Matter movement besides kinda document everything and be there for it, be there with them, stand with them, capture that moment in time. The way he flows seamlessly through the marches, it was almost like he wasn’t even there as a photographer. He was there, he stood in solidarity, he went through everything.”

Clements was able to even make some connections during the marches that lead to the creation of a nonprofit called Price of a Hug. This nonprofit consists of a group of local photographers, videographers, painters and many other artists in Des Moines. Their mission is to help create media for anyone who might need it in exchange for a hug. With donations, the group was able to help the homeless population by cooking meals and providing clothing. As of now, Clements continues standing up for what he believes in and capturing images that he loves.

Clements had some words of advice for GV students who might be interested in photography.

“Don’t compare your photography to anyone else as long as you like the image,” Clements said. “That’s all that matters, don’t be scared to fail, be confident with yourself. If you see something that tells a story don’t be scared to photograph it.”