Chapel Hill residents marching on Franklin Street to chants of “Black Lives Matter.” Mask-wearing students returning to UNC. A family celebrating the 101st birthday of a Chapel Hill icon.

Chapelboro.com photographer Dakota Moyer was there to record life in Chapel Hill and Orange County through a tumultuous 2020. Some of it echoed strained tensions around the United States — a man receiving a COVID-19 test, protesters taking to the Hillsborough courthouse steps, residents celebrating the results of the presidential election. Other times it was smaller in scale – two coaches embracing after a big victory, a grieving mother comforted, players kneeling in solidarity.

This year’s set of photos that encapsulated life in Orange County in 2020 were selected by Moyer and Chapelboro’s editorial staff.

 

Courtney Banghart hugs UNC football coach Mack Brown after the UNC women’s basketball team defeated previously-undefeated NC State at Carmichael Arena on January 9, 2020. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

The Town of Chapel Hill unveils a monument honoring the Chapel Hill Nine on February 28, 2020. The Chapel Hill Nine were a group of Black students who organized a sit-in at the Colonial Drug Store on Franklin Street on February 28, 1960. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Khazia Hislop competes in the balance beam as UNC gymnastic takes on George Washington at Carmichael Arena on February 28, 2020. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

UNC Health CST Eileen Brito displays a photo she captured on her phone on May 14, 2020 as The Flying For The Flag Bandit Flight Team honored healthcare workers with a flyover at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

UNC Health CST Rhiannon Benesch poses for a portrait outside UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill on May 14, 2020. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

A volunteer with PORCH puts a container of food into the trunk of a car at the Chapel Hill Public Library on May 22, 2020. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, volunteers wore face coverings, gloves and limited physical contact with drivers. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

A handful of residents gather at the Orange County Veterans Memorial on May 24, 2020 for a shortened Memorial Day celebration. The gathering was limited to a handful of people due to the pandemic. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz donates blood at the annual Carolina Blood Drive on June 2, 2020 at the Dean Smith Center. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

A protester in Hillsborough wears a sign on June 5, 2020 that displays the final words of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into his neck for several minutes. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Protesters take to Franklin Street in Chapel Hill on June 6, 2020 with a “Black Lives Matter” banner in a protest over the death of George Floyd. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Protesters gather at Peace and Justice Plaza in Chapel Hill on June 6, 2020 in a protest over the death of George Floyd. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Patrons watch as a “Black Lives Matter” march proceeds along Franklin Street in Chapel Hill on June 12, 2020. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

UNC Health Care workers march around the facilities at UNC Hospitals on June 22, 2020 in solidarity with the “Black Lives Matter” movement. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Family and friends of Euzelle Smith gather in Chapel Hill on July 4, 2020 to celebrate Smith’s 101st birthday. Smith, the namesake of Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill, died on September 19. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

A man is tested for coronavirus at a free drive-through testing event at Carrboro High School on July 22, 2020. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

A sign on a resident hall door on UNC’s campus on August 1, 2020 warns that entry is not permitted if not wearing a mask. Hundreds of health and safety signs were displayed across the campus in Chapel Hill before students returned. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

A woman holds a “Black Lives Matter” flag at a protest on the steps of the Hillsborough courthouse on August 1, 2020. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

UNC students and faculty members participate in a “die-in” protest on August 5, 2020 to call for the university to begin the semester with online learning, instead of welcoming back thousands of students to Chapel Hill. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

A sign displayed next to the Old Well on UNC’s campus on August 10, 2020 reminds students, faculty members and visitors to wear a mask during the pandemic. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

The sister of Faith Hedgepeth is comforted during a ceremony in honor of Faith on August 16, 2020. Hedgepeth, a UNC student, was murdered in Chapel Hill in 2012 and police have not yet arrested a suspect. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

97.9 The Hill partners with Maple View Mobile and Market & Moss to distribute free ice cream to residents outside University Place mall on September 4, 2020. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Artie Dixon shows off her ring featuring former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during a march to honor Ginsburg on September 23, 2020. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Jimmy Ray Swagger and The Fussy Eaters perform on October 4, 2020 at the 2020 Carrboro Music Festival, which was moved entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Family and friends of Sydney West gather in Southern Village on October 15, 2020 to hold a vigil in West’s honor. West, a Chapel Hill native, has been missing in California since late September. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Members of UNC’s field hockey team take a knee during the national anthem before a game against Syracuse on October 16, 2020 in Chapel Hill. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Election workers prepare as the doors to a voting location in Hillsborough open to voters on November 2, 2020. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Volunteers from the Orange County Democratic Party wait outside a voting location in Efland on November 2, 2020 as voters cast their ballots. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Residents take to Franklin Street on November 7, 2020 to celebrate as Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election is called by various news outlets. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Rev. John Cradle speaks to the group gathered outside St. Joseph Christian Methodist Episcopal Church on November 21, 2020 to honor James Cates, who was murdered on the same day 50 years ago by white supremacists. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

A mural of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is displayed on November 29, 2020 in an alleyway off Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Hillsborough’s Christmas tree is on display on December 6, 2020 in the town’s downtown area. The town’s annual holiday parade and Christmas tree lighting celebration were moved online due to the pandemic. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com) 

Aaron Keck listens as UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz talks on December 7, 2020 during the 2020 Community For’Em on 97.9 The Hill. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

Ron Stutts smiles for a portrait as he wraps up his morning show on December 15, 2020 on his final week with 97.9 The Hill before retirement. (Dakota Moyer/Chapelboro.com)

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