The African American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s can be seen as one of the major events in America’s history that fundamentally changed its entire society. In one of the most liberal countries in the world that defeated fascism and fought against communism, people of different ethnicity were still treated differently. While white people enjoyed all the rights, black people were excluded from public places, did not have the right to vote and were punished more severely than their fellow citizens. But the African American population stood up against these kinds of suppression and segregation in the middle of the 20th century and fought for their rights, especially with the help of their leading figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Malcolm X. Even if they could eventually achieve some of their goals such as the abolition of segregated buses or the right to vote, their peaceful movement was most of the times violently stopped by policemen and white civilians.
Due to this unequal fight, the blacks’ demands and sufferings captured more and more the media’s attention and were documented especially through photography. This photography had a high impact on how the Civil Rights Movement was perceived all over the country and, as a consequence, indirectly helped the protestors in their plans. Interestingly enough, it is remarkable that nearly all these printed photographs show the Movement in a way that was unknown to people so that special emotions towards black people and the own behaviors were evoked: empathy and guilt. This then led to a new debate about racial discrimination and civil rights.
In this term paper I will therefore examine in more detail in which way photojournalism supported the African American Civil Rights Movement. I will start by giving a short overview of photojournalism and its effects on society. Then, I will continue by analyzing different types of photographs of the Civil Rights Movement that evoke feelings of empathy and guilt. For this purpose I will describe one exemplary photograph for each category and explain how influenced society. Finally, a conclusion with possibilities to expand the topic will follow.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
2. PHOTOJOURNALISM AND ITS EFFECT ON THE SOCIETY OF THE 1950S AND 1960S
3. PHOTOGRAPHS EVOKING EMPATHY
3.1. PORTRAITS
3.2. THE EVERYDAY LIFE
4. PHOTOGRAPHS EVOKING GUILT
4.1. SIGN PHOTOGRAPHY
4.2. STREET FIGHTS
5. CONCLUSION: PHOTOJOURNALISM AS INITIATOR OF CHANGE
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper examines how photojournalism functioned as a catalyst for societal change during the African American Civil Rights Movement by evoking specific emotional responses, namely empathy and guilt, among the broader American public.
- The historical impact of photojournalism on social perception during the 1950s and 1960s.
- The role of portraiture in humanizing the struggle for civil rights.
- The function of everyday life photography in demonstrating shared humanity.
- The use of documentation to highlight systemic injustices and evoke collective guilt.
- The influence of media coverage on political decision-making and legislation.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Portraits
Especially in the 20th century portraits are of major importance as, thanks to technology, photographers can “capture the expression of the subject as it might appear in the flash of an instant, not just an ‘average’ or typical facial mask.” (Ovell 35) The subject therefore does not have to be prepared but also can be photographed in an accidental moment. These portraits are then more authentic than posed ones as they mainly have the aim to present the subject in a certain manner. That is why portraits by photojournalist more often show sudden moments with more significant facial expressions that, as a consequence, are able to evoke stronger emotions.
In the 1960s a powerful portrait was taken, for example, during the Selma to-Montgomery march in March 1965 by Bruce Davidson (Fig. 1). About 3000 people joined this march which was led by Martin Luther King and aimed to dramatize the need for a federal voter registration law. (cf. Dierenfield 117) Davidson’s photograph shows a young black marcher with conspicuous suncream on his face in front of other marchers and the American flag. On his forehead he inscribed the word “vote” and also his mouth is formed as if he was saying this word while this snapshot was taken. Due to the fact that portraits concentrate on the subject’s face, this portrait is especially interesting as the marcher’s face is in some way manipulated in order to transport more meaning to the public than his natural face would do among all the other marchers.
Chapter Summaries
1. INTRODUCTION: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT: Provides a historical overview of the Civil Rights Movement and introduces the central thesis that photography significantly influenced public opinion.
2. PHOTOJOURNALISM AND ITS EFFECT ON THE SOCIETY OF THE 1950S AND 1960S: Defines the evolution of photojournalism and explains its psychological impact on viewers through the documentation of significant events.
3. PHOTOGRAPHS EVOKING EMPATHY: Analyzes how portraits and everyday life imagery helped the white population identify with the struggles of their black fellow citizens.
4. PHOTOGRAPHS EVOKING GUILT: Explores how images of segregation and street violence forced a confrontation with systemic injustice, leading to public demands for political action.
5. CONCLUSION: PHOTOJOURNALISM AS INITIATOR OF CHANGE: Summarizes how photographic documentation effectively exerted pressure on the government, leading to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.
Keywords
Civil Rights Movement, Photojournalism, Empathy, Guilt, Segregation, Jim Crow Laws, Social Change, Visual Culture, Human Rights, Media Influence, Protest, Photography, History, Racial Discrimination, Political Activism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the intersection of photojournalism and the Civil Rights Movement, specifically how media documentation influenced American society to support civil rights legislation through emotional appeals.
What are the primary themes explored in the work?
The main themes include the power of visual media, the psychological mechanisms of empathy and guilt in viewers, and the role of photography as an agent for political and social transformation.
What is the core research question addressed by the author?
The paper investigates the specific ways in which photojournalism supported the African American Civil Rights Movement and effectively catalyzed societal change.
What scientific methods were applied?
The author uses a qualitative, descriptive analysis of exemplary historical photographs, supported by theoretical frameworks on media and photography, to explain their societal impact.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body is divided into an analysis of photographs that evoke empathy—through portraits and scenes of daily life—and those that trigger feelings of guilt by exposing segregation and acts of violence.
Which keywords define the scope of this study?
The study is characterized by terms such as Civil Rights Movement, photojournalism, visual politics, racial discrimination, social empathy, and historical photography.
How did portraiture specifically help the Civil Rights Movement?
Portraits helped by capturing authentic, spontaneous moments that humanized individuals within the movement, making it easier for the white public to recognize their shared humanity and the injustice of their exclusion.
Why was the photograph of William Gadsden's attack significant?
The image captured the brutal violence of the Birmingham Movement, shocking the nation and compelling individuals to write letters of shame, which effectively accelerated the public demand for federal intervention.
- Citar trabajo
- Cristina Flores (Autor), 2013, Guilt, Empathy and Reason: How Photojournalism Supported the Civil Rights Movement, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/270526
