Photographer Bill Hudson Essay

Throughout the course of the Civil Rights movement, minority children have been involved in racial discrimination. As we can see from this photo, it shows how racial hatred and discrimination is being portrayed. Sometimes when we first look at an image, we often assume or jump to the wrong conclusion than taking into consideration other factors and contributors to what is actually being shown in front of us. There are two sides to every story as to why this picture was taken. Therefore, my argument is that all too often, we quickly make inaccurate judgments or conclusions to what we are visualizing in this photo, rather than investigate circumstances between the minority children and the firefighters in order to make a final conclusion

Photographer Bill Hudson, is the person who originally took the photo. By taking a good look at the image, it clearly shows innocent young minority demonstrators are being hoses down by high pressure full force water, and white firefighters are using aggression, racism and discrimination without hesitation as a means to attack and harm these types of individuals. On the other hand, the firefighters are twisting their story to the photograph, saying they are only doing their job to protect and to serve. The image is disturbing because it questions the country’s ethical consciousness, support and realization for minorities struggling for equality in this country. Hudson’s tenacity at the time was as he stated, “Making pictures and staying alive” looking out for the water hoses so he would not get injured. Martin Luther King, Jr. became involved in the Southern Christian Leadership Coalition (SCLC) that was a movement to help end the city of Birmingham, Alabama current policies and practices to racial segregation. The person who had control and authority over Birmingham’s Fire Department was Eugene Connor. He was Birmingham’s Police Commissioner who discriminated and was a loyal segregationist against minorities. He threatened demonstrators who were disobeying the law, he would promise them mayhem. Connor gave the orders to use fire hoses against demonstrators no matter what the circumstances maybe (Hudson,