Photography is a powerful mass communicative tool which allows one to relay a message without words or phrases but rather one glance. Photography can be an art form but it also functions as a means of reportage; this style of photography captures a moment, event, or narrative about a single event. In addition, documentary photography is a popular form of photography used to chronicle events, stories, or important historical, social, or political movements. In our current social climate, photography functions as a powerful form of communication; social media is critical in relaying news and information to the mass public, oftentimes with just one photograph or video. The last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed forth social justice issues to the forefront of our society.
The murder of George Floyd bolstered uproar in the face of racial injustice. In the same vein, the powerful and painful visuals that came out of the movement encapsulated the moment into our country’s history.
TAKEN FROM The Seattle Times
This photograph brilliantly depicts the state of our country, the burning chaos amidst an American flag in the forefront, depict the division and agony of what our nation is goin through.
TAKEN FROM US News.com
This image in correlation to the first photograph also depicts the fight for equality and racial justice at the hands of an unjust system that has time and time again proved to do more harm to people of color. However, this image was taken roughly 60 years ago in the 1960s during a Civil Rights movement march and in juxtaposition with our current issues tells a story of the need for swift change in our country.
All in all, photography is a powerful tool of communication, it tells a story and can depict pain, fear, grief, joy, anger, and wide array of emotions and feelings. In this case, I used the example of the Black Lives Matter movement visuals from this last year which capture the chaos, division, anger, and pain of people striving for change in a corrupt system of police brutality and social injustice. The two stills chosen represent a historical and important political moment in our nation’s history that affect and will continue to affect us if change does not occur.