Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis is famous for his social documentary photography. In his 1890 book How the Other Half Lives, Riis used his photographs to reveal the squalid conditions New York’s poor were forced to live in. At the time, 2.3 million New Yorkers lived in tenement housing, with several families per small unit. In 1849, 5,000 people died from a cholera outbreak, most of whom were people living in overcrowded slums.

Tenement House Act

Though reforms had gone into place by 1890 (for example, The Tenement House Act of 1867 set construction regulations, one of which was a requirement for one toilet per every 20 people), a lot of things didn’t change, and many of America’s more privileged classes knew nothing about the horrors of tenement living. Riis’ photographs offered a first-hand look into these conditions – and real change came about as a result. President Roosevelt was personally inspired to lead change after reading Riis’ book How the Other Half Lives, and The Tenement House Law outlawed the construction of new tenements in 1901. How the Other Half Lives inspired journalists of the following decades to call on politicians, reformers, and city officials to change the ills they witnessed. Finally, wealthy tycoons of the Gilded age were held responsible.

Frederick Douglas

In the same period of time, Frederick Douglas was inspiring social reform for Black Americans. Though not a photographer himself, Douglas staunchly encouraged photographers to use their talents to drive the mission of racial equality. He was the most photographed person of the 19th century, and used his popularity to present an image of statesmanship, intellect, and dignity. He saw photography not only as a way to challenge stereotypes or bring about social change, but also as a way for people to feel pride in themselves. He said of photography, “The humbled servant girl whose income is but a few shillings per week may now possess a more perfect likeness of herself than noble ladies and court royalty”. Similarly, W.E.B. DuBois chose to publish positive pictures of African Americans in his magazine Crisis, showing readers prideful examples of Black citizens.

Emmett Till

Skip a few decades, and we arrive in the American 1950s – photography has a new duty. Frederick Douglas and W.E,B. DuBois’ visions of Black pride and nobility are shattered in the face of Emmett Till. America’s long racist history is reflected in his violent mutilation. Now, instead of photography in the fight for freedom or respect, photography is used in the fight for survival.

When Emmett Till was murdered, the image of his body was, at first, only published by Jet – no southern or northern publications joined them. In fact, the south wrote purposefully vague reports of his death. Though his story picked up steam in the north, southern newspapers hid many details. Soon however, Till’s murder is reported on by a variety of outlets, spreading across the U.S. and abroad. The picture is undeniable, and outrage rightfully ensued.

The infamous picture of Till was taken by photographer David Jackson, and like Riis’ pictures from half a century earlier, they ignited a new spark for documentary photography. It can be said that Civil Rights Photography started with Jackson.

Little Rock 9

These photos shaped our understanding of social issues. The “Little Rock 9” photo, for example, contradicted the “delicate, gentile southern lady” image the south was devoted to – a white teenage girl screams at a stoic Elisabeth Eckford. This photo exemplifies the basis of the entire Civil Rights Movement – that the true disrespect and violence doesn’t come from Black Americans pursuing equality, but from white southerners infuriated by change.

Civil Rights Photos

As much as we need to create art celebrating the sweetness of life, we should all know just how important it is to capture life’s most disturbing moments as well. Like Roosevelt before him, JFK saw pictures of fire hoses and dogs used against protesters in the Children’s Crusade and personally sought to take action. In the 1950s and 60s, documentary photography gave the Civil Rights Movement validity, just as photos of Nazis and protesters being gassed give credence to causes in the 21st century. Photos directly lead to social change – they speak to our innate desire to promote good and denounce evil. The right side is often easy to see in a picture.

But like everything, photography is a double edged sword. In the decades following the Civil Rights Movement, the media used pictures of the Black Panthers to discredit social justice initiatives in the 70s and beyond. It’s well known that the Panthers openly carried firearms and spoke about justice “through any means necessary”. A picture of a Panther with a rifle on their back is fair game – carrying guns for self-protection was part of their ideology, but I argue that the Panthers’ attitude is what made them more threatening to white Americans than the guns.

As Olivier Maheo touches on in his research paper, those involved in the Civil Rights Movement operated on peace, patience, and  moderate change, but the Black Panthers took a direct approach by blaming systemic problems on the American status quo. In photos of the Civil Rights Movement, the blame is centered on racist individuals and parts of the country. Maheo posits the majority of white Americans could feel comfortable getting behind the movement because they didn’t have to share in the blame – they could blame the racist southerners who flagrantly used violence. As northerners, they could separate themselves from “those” people.

The Black Panthers

The Black Panthers wore their natural hair, took inspiration from Africa, and rejected parts of our society imbued with racism. They told Americans their world – even some of the good parts – were born of hatred, and that’s what really scared them. Photos published in newspapers showed the Panthers yelling, raising their fists, looking different and “unamerican”. Pictures of the Free Breakfast Program didn’t make it into The New York Times. Media made the Panthers “radicals” (even though the real violence came from the FBI – look into the COINTELPRO plan).

Context is everything. If you saw a picture of a riot from a few summers ago, you would miss the part about racism. Decades of it- violently played out. Systemically oppressive. Blatant, unchanging, ignored, and mocked. Pictures of riots are real – they show us something that we know for a fact happened, but they leave a lot up in the air. This ambiguity is something I don’t think a photographer can fix – that’s certainly a much deeper issue. But one thing photographers can do is show us more. Photographers can show us the truth of social problems in other ways – in the abstract and straight-forward – but they need to get out there and capture it. Though the history of what they capture may not be explained, it can spark curiosity.

Conclusion

Our understanding of the past is shaped by photographs. If we want future generations to see our truths, we need to document it. Take pictures of everything: for the simple beauty of things and for the stories behind them. Let the world know what you see and let advancement emerge from it.