The first picture displays a trio of freedom riders(a white man, white woman, and black lady), conducting a sit-in at a restaurant in the 1960's. Behind them is a group of white men pouring condiments atop their heads, expressing their disdain for the actions of the group. The freedom riders tested the Jim Crow Laws, as they engaged in activities that went against the status quo. The Jim Crow laws essentially separated whites and blacks. People who fought for equality, as shown in the the first picture as well as the second, fought for the destruction of the laws. In the first picture, it is understood that the black woman is not supposed to be present in the restaurant due to her skin color. Although she, and her fellow freedom riders, received harsh treatment, the freedom riders never retaliated. The people in support of desegregation were willing to sustain the brutality in order to help change segregation throughout the South.
Wow, with this newly uploaded photo, I finally understand the mental toughness of the freedom riders. To be honest, when the first posts of this blog came out, I thought: this type of non-violent resistance wasn't as radical as the self-immolation acts or hunger strikes. However by this photo showing me the extreme emotional/mental distress these individuals had to endure, I see that I was SO wrong. I didn't think of the entire situation at hand. Great post! - Jon E
ReplyDeleteI think the first image of the freedom writers at the restaurant put out a powerful message of how even those supporting equality felt the wrath of discrimination. The white members were even scorned upon for standing up against discrimination which is appalling, but I think that this helps the audience get a better understanding of how cruel segregation was.
ReplyDelete-Dharani K.
When you see the original image, you get a sense of how the Freedom Riders protested and the people that participated. Many, when they think of the Civil Rights Movement and, by extension, the Freedom Riders, they largely think of African Americans and other minorities protesting. However, looking these images you can see that white Americans participated in the protests as well, that they too believed in the injustices and treatment put upon minorities by society and the government, and they felt strongly enough about it to make a stand. The first image displayed, you really see how those that protested were treated, regardless of race, and when you couple that with the second image, you see that they stand strong together no matter what. It's a really powerful message
ReplyDeleteThe simple fact that these images show the blacks and whites working together to bring about change in areas that support the Jim Crow laws has so much rhetorical power. But like someone said, the top photo gives a preview of the hate that people expressed toward the freedom riders and the emotional strength they needed in order to keep their protest nonviolent.
ReplyDelete-Bryan