Re: Photographing the Beginning of the Civil Rights Movement

Both the images are very impactful. They account and document for the social segregation of people that occurred in the 50′s. the message of each photograph is very clear that segregation impacted society greatly. Robert Frank’s “The Americans” and Will Counts “Elizabeth Eckford” recount that African Americans in the 1950’s were studied, bothered and clearly identified as the outsiders of the American society just for their race. These photographs express the contemptuous reality African Americans had to endure and their unfair treatment. They didn’t glorify the 50’s instead they made notorious the flaws of society that majority of people would cover up. The truth of segregation needed to be expressed to the world so people could see a visual of the unfair treatment of people just for their skin color. I believe both images to address the points of segregation very clearly. In Robert Franks photograph you can see how the bus or train is clearly divided into two sections the whites and the African Americans and the direct interaction with the audience by the subject looing into the camera clearly expresses their emotions which makes us further understand the difference between the happy and snobby against the sad whom have no choice. In Will Counts “Elizabeth Eckford” photograph she clearly stands out amongst all the white people as they are mocking her. In both photographs none of the African American subjects are doing anything wrong they are just wronged by society. Both photographs to me are very strong because of the attitudes and emotions they capture about something so insignificant as race.