Birmingham, Alabama 1963
This photo by Charles Moore depicts three African Americans being violently sprayed by a fire hose. The man on the right is being sprayed directly in the back and the painful pressure of the hose is illustrated by the indentation it leaves clothes. Likewise, the photo is effective because the other two are clearly in distress and trying to avoid the painful water pressure. Moore’s choice to photograph the victims of the attack also captures the injustice and racism towards African Americans better than if he were to photograph the person who is operating the fire hose.
Charles Moore: Birmingham, Alabama, 1963. Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2010/03/charles_moore.html/
Good commentary. What parallels can you draw with today’s events?