Also, just a note, you will not have to report on your "Memphis Figure" until after we watch the film Tuesday night. I wanted to wait until we had covered a bit more concerning African American History Month. The film is located here.
So, please, share with me any thoughts you'd like about the exhibit: which photograph did you find most interesting or compelling--or moving? And, think too about the role of the photographer, the risks he must have taken in order to get some of those shots. Finally, how does Withers' photographic oeuvre convey the socio-political climate of the day?
If you have trouble posting, you may email your remarks to jllester@southwest.tn.edu, and I will post on your behalf--but let's see what might be the issue there so that all can post without problems.
I look forward to reading your commentary--and to seeing you again Tuesday night!
It was fantastic and heartbreaking the way only the civil rights movement could be. There was so much hope and so much left to build on. What struck me the most was that only two days after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his speech at Mason Temple he was assassinated. Which only gave more fuel to burn for those who where protesting for the cause of sanitation workers. But those words “… I have seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you…” where very like the prophet he was trying to imitate. And though he did not get to see the actual crossing into the Promised Land he really did so much to get them across. It is only from where we stand in these clean halls and reading crisp text books that we think that we can see what all of these encouraging men and women did for us because we know how it turned out; but they helped shape a nation and I try to make myself imagine what it would have been like to be there at the time. How frightening it must have really been to stand up for what you believe in and fight against the current of what other people are telling you is right.
ReplyDeleteYou are so correct and so insightful! I don't think that there is anything more moving than Dr. King's final speech in Memphis. He _knew_ his fate and accepted it with grace. This is why I feel so strongly about reminding the younger generations about what sacrifices people made to create the freedoms we enjoy today--and why the documentarian is so vitally important to capturing these moments in history. Good post, and so glad to see you today!
Delete“Riots are the language of the unheard.” A quote, by Martin Luther King Jr., which I believe sums up many of the violent occurrences during that time. That quote stuck to me after reading it from the description of the ‘Main Street Riots’ photograph. The image was compelling as I visioned all of the chaos they had gone through; then I came back to reality with gratefulness in my heart as I stood in the museum. The signs placed around their necks, personal belongings scattered on the ground, businesses with busted windows and young protesters running and falling over are just a few things that stood out to me. After giving deep thought about the quote, I came down to the conclusion about the meaning. I believe he was speaking in reference to violence being the only source of communication they feel they could turn to at that point because the other forms of communication was not respected or received. Of course the riot did not last long or was not effective because there was not any form of strategy; it was more like okay, let’s do this or that because we need to get this frustration off of our chest. I could only imagine how it was back then when freedom of speech was something African Americans had to fight for, rather than now as it is an everyday expression. Also for Mr. Withers to put his life on the line to bring forth, to the present, what went on in the past is amazing and heroic. He was able to use his form of expression to showcase others forms of expression.
ReplyDeleteExcellent comment, Jaida! Thanks!
DeleteI really enjoyed the Withers exhibit at Brooks. This was not my first time to see it, but after studying up more on MLK, it meant more to me. I think what’s special about the Withers exhibit is how personal the images are. They are real and raw and show so many different emotions from that day. Can you imagine how MLK felt in his finals moments? Or how his family, friends, and bystanders/fans felt when he was assassinated.
ReplyDeleteI love that you mention the 'personal' nature of the photographs. Lovely comment!
DeleteHenry Loeb was the Mayor of Memphis, Tennessee in January 1968. The black Americans sanitation workers walked-out on strike, when the working conditions worsened. Dr. M. L. King assisted through demonstration on the streets in Memphis City, and made a speech about the prejudicial arrangements in the American society subsiding. For these reasons, black Americans were offered less opportunity in economic and social rights in the community. Black Americans were given menial jobs, below minimum wage, and unsafe working conditions. Furthermore, black Americans were segregated from white Americans via separate bathroom stalls, separate sitting arrangements on bus rides, and they were discriminated from trying on garments and shoes in the department stores. The strike came to an end with proposed terms by the city officials including as agreement for an established union, and a pay raise that was financed by Abe Plough, a philanthropist in Memphis, Tennessee. The black Americans experiences of injustice caused them to pursue equal rights in the economic and social opportunities in American society. The black Americans desire to exercise their rights for freedom from slavery, and to become independent to choose jobs in the nation.
ReplyDeleteExcellent, thanks Sayeda.
ReplyDeleteThe piece, "Policemen with Riot Gear," ignited a little fire in my heart. A rage fire. The way the one of a single shot shows him in an antagonizing pose that just says, "Bring it on." The group shots show them as if they were Romans going into battle. There was so much anger and hate and a robotic sense of morality. These people were for peaceful protests and they got attacked with anger and violence every time. I can only imagine how the photographer must have felt. He felt it was his responsibility to document important yet disturbing history in the middle of a war zone.
ReplyDeleteVery observant, Sophia, and very eloquently stated. It was great to see you this morning at the conference!
DeleteWhat photo I found interesting was the one of the girl holding a sign that said "the store integrates your money but segregates you". This interested me the most because back then whites didn't want African Americans having any dealing with things they use or anything. If you think about it when they were getting change from the store they didn't know who had that money before but they didn't care. When I saw that image it really did get me to thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteI remember that photo. It's astounding to think of the depths racism can reach.
DeleteThe photo that stood out to me was the picture of the police officers hauling away an obedient citizen (Lithograph Drunk and Disorderly and disturbing the peace in 1941) In the image the police officers were depicted as "pigs", this stood out to me because it immediately made me think of modern day campaigns such as: "I can't breathe", and "Black Lives Matter". In the Lithograph, the citizen appears to not be in any violation of a law, especially the crimes he was accused of. This sounds eerily like those gunned down in the street and being accused of becoming aggressive with a police officer.
ReplyDelete