It was the hug heard round the world.

While it won’t heal the wounds caused by the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, that sparked protests around the nation, the photo of a police officer and young protester in Oregon raised hope for reconciliation in the future.

The photo, which went viral, depicts a crying 12-year-old black boy carrying a sign offering “free hugs,” and a police sergeant obliging.

The picture exploded on social networking site Facebook, according to the Christian Science Monitor. The subjects of the photo are 12-year-old Devonte Hart and Portland Police Sgt. Bret Barnum at a Ferguson protest, one of many across the nation after a grand jury declined to charge Officer Darren Wilson for shooting and killing 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug. 9.

The photo became popular because it represented a stark contrast to what the protests were all about: a white officer hugging a black boy, rather than a white officer becoming involved in an altercation with a black boy that resulted in the latter’s death.

The protests came as a result of the fact that Wilson, the shooter, will not face charges depite some witnesses alleging that Brown had his hands up in surrender when the shot were fired. The resulting outcry led to protests and even some violence, particularly in Ferguson. The response to the protests, which saw police donning combat-like gear, also drew ire from those who argue that the police does not care about earning the trust of its populace.

Devonte Hart went to the Nov. 25 protest in Portland where anger over the shooting was fresh despite the fact that it happened many miles away. He walked around holding a “Free Hugs” sign and stood in front of the police barricade before one of the officers walked forward and extended his hand, an uncomfortable interaction at first until the officer asked the boy why he was crying.

The boy responded that he was concerned about police brutality toward young black kids like him, prompting the officer to respond with, “I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He then asked Devonte if he could give him a hug, and the boy obliged.

An undercurrent of the touching photo is a desire among some to resolve the tensions between black Americans and police. Protests, however, show no signs of abating around the country.

Details about the shooting in Missouri are disputed, with contradicting witness accounts. Officer Darren Wilson, 28, claimed Brown was violent toward him and attempted to grab his gun, while some witnesses said Brown had surrendered to the officer and had his hands up. It resulted in at times violent protests and created a nationwide discussion about how black people are treated by white police officers throughout the country.