Analysis of Photo of the Civil Rights Movement

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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.

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