Words: 779
The civil rights movement in the 1960’s was a very powerful time period in this country. Birmingham, Alabama was in the heart of the struggle for equal rights. African Americans protested and fought for what they believed in through peaceful and violent protests. In this picture the struggle is shown on how difficult it was for African Americans to gain equal rights. The photo was taken in the midst of a protest which adds dramatic effect, the people in the photo show pain and the people not pictured make them a faceless foe and the lack of colors in the picture helps send a powerful message.
As I look at this picture I feel bad for the hard times that these people had to endure. It makes me upset with the way this country treated African Americans They are fighting for something they believe in and will stop at nothing to earn what they deserve. It shows the powerful message of the movement, which was to gain equal rights and prove that they are equal citizens. The message is to show how these people fought for their cause. The photo does show that they were willing to fight for their rights by capturing the people’s pain in their faces. The photo shows the determination and drive to gain equal rights.
I see people running away from water being shot at by hoses to stop the protest for these rights. The water represents the sacrifice for the pain they must endure in order to get what they want. The way the photo was taken only showing the people being abused adds hardship. It does not show the policemen who are spraying the hoses, which makes them seem even more evil and more like the bad guys. This gives the effect of a faceless foe and adds to the drama of the picture. This image shows that the protesters were willing to endure pain to get what they desired and deserved.
The people in the background wanting to give up and go home, stay and show that they support their cause and are willing to fight for what they believe in. The man holding the woman shows the power and pain endured during the protest. They show that they are determined to get what they believe but also are being unfairly harassed. The police are being violent and using violent actions during a non-violent protest, which causes unfair pain and suffering. The fact that the picture is in black and white adds to the struggle represented.
It makes the picture seem more depressing and upsetting rather than bright colors to make it seem joyful. The black and white photo also can represent the separation of black and white people in this time period. We assume that the people spraying the hose are white. The white people spraying the hose at the black people who make the white represent bad and black represent good. The photo being in black and white makes the black and white contrast even greater. The girl jumping into the man’s arms shows hope and safety from the terror around them. She has a state of security admits all the chaos being in the man’s arms.
Also it is though she is being rescued from the pain and suffering that she has endured. You cannot see their faces, which adds to the mystery of the photo. The people do not need to have faces because the message is still made known without the expression on their face being visible. The man is carrying the woman from what appears to be harm and danger and she looks relieved at being rescued. There are not specific details on how these people are related. They could be brother and sister or husband and wife, that we do not know, but what we do know is that they are united by their beliefs.
They are united by the same cause that they believe in and stand for. They are willing to put up with the pain in order to gain their freedom from unequal rights. This photo is a very dramatic piece of art and it shows the hardship that individuals fighting for free rights had to endure. It helps paint a picture of the times that African American went through to gain their equality. The overall message of the picture is to stand up for what you believe in no matter how difficult it may seem during the fighting the end result will be worth it as long as you stay committed and determined to the task at hand.