Unlawful Police Brutality

The image "I am a man" (1968) conveys a strong message by showing a group of men peacefully protesting. Meanwhile during the protest soldiers were aiming guns and baronets at them, very unlawful during a peaceful gathering. I think that the message being represented here is that the law treats people of colour more harsh and inhumane while protesting than others. This is shown through a lot of body language acting in contrast to each other, one side is very offensive and the other side is continuously calm and mild mannered. The calm side is seen walking in a straight line holding signs at mid-level with no sudden movement, and meanwhile the armed side is pointing guns at the protesters’ heads, outstretched. This shows the aggression and fear that encompasses the officers because of the ability that the protesters have to turn a peaceful protest into a riot. Also the fact that the majority of the people are black shows the racism in play since knowing that during that time, people of colour and other minorities were in fact minorities and not equal in the eyes of the law. This also proves the submissive ways that minorities had to develop in order to survive in the white community, were it reverse, white protesters would most likely be more violent because they could without fearing of being shot and killed. In summation, this image reveals the brutality and unlawfulness that was in play during the sixties that continues to happen even to this day.

Source: “I Am A Man”. Photograph. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 900. “Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike (1968).” No Date. Web. 13 August 2014.