Response To: Photographing the Beginning of the Civil Rights Movements

It seems that both are equally effective in their own ways. Although the photographs weren’t taken in the same city but during the same decade in the 1950’s, they wanted to create awareness about a growing problem in the country that ended up becoming a discrimination of races, between blacks and whites. Robert Frank even described them as those individuals that aren’t “living the American dream”. Will Count’s photo of Elizabeth Eckford first day of school of the Little Rock Nine also did show her not “living the American dream” as she simply wanted to go to school, but the whites didn’t want to comply with school becoming desegregated and forming a rally group behind her.  The “American Dream” would have a different meaning to people, such as having a job, being able to provide for their families, getting an education, etc. One difference difference that can be noted is which of the photographers felt more energy of what was around when taking the photos. Robert Frank simply just snapped the photos and moved along, but Will Count felt the energy being close to the angry white mob in action that went following Elizabeth Eckford and shouting racial slurs at her.