A picture is not worth only a thousand words. A picture can be worth an infinite amount of words; however many words it takes to tell the story behind the picture. The story told by the picture can also vary from person to person. This specific image displays a story that many Americans will take different sides to. It tells stories dating back from centuries ago to currently, when this image was taken only in the past few weeks. This image is portraying the ongoing war involving racism still relevant in America today through showing the vulnerability of the black race to the authority figures who continue to senselessly kill members of the black community. This photograph tells different stories, depending on the observers’ background, but it tells a deep-rooted story that cannot be contained to only one thousand words.

This photograph is able to portray such a strong image partially because it is visually appealing. There’s a contrast of light and dark on both sides of the picture which creates a balance. There are also objects (people) on both sides that create balance in the picture which is aesthetically pleasing. The white clothes on the man to the right in the photograph contrasts with the darker, blurry left side of the photo along with the white car in the background. This creates a color balance on both sides of the picture. There is also object balance within the photograph. The one person on the right appears bigger than the other figures in the background on the left. They balance each other out creating a pleasing visual image. When a picture contains artistic elements that are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, observers of the photo are more likely to connect with the photo further examine it. 

This photograph symbolizes the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement has become more wide-spread and well-known in recent months. The whole purpose of the picture is to portray the message of ‘don’t shoot’. This has become a major message within the BLM movement. One of the major goals of the BLM movement is to bring attention to the fact that many black lives are being taken by police. The ‘don’t shoot’ message is being shown in this image and many others to express that when someone’s hands are up, don’t shoot. This message is being portrayed because in many instances of black people being shot by the police, their hands were raised which should signal the cops to not use lethal force. However, the cops have shot and killed many people with their hands raised, many people of color. That’s the reason that this image is portraying the ‘don’t shoot’ message so prevalently.  This image is supposed to let anybody looking at it know that black people are surrendering to authority forces. They are not trying to fight them. Black people are simply trying to have their voices heard. They don’t want to be killed on the streets by the same people who are supposed to be protecting them. This image helps black people’s voices be heard. They are saying that they do not want to fight the police, they just want the police to hear them and recognize that they are tired of being shot, killed, and ignored through injustice. This photo is a plea for mercy in a way. Black people are not starting a war. They are trying to end the internal war against the racism in this country. 

There can be many different stories behind this image. Every person in America can take this image to be something different from the next person. But yet it is the same image that each person is seeing. The main story being told behind this image is one of injustice for black people. This photo was taken during the riots in Charlotte after an unarmed black man was shot and killed by a police officer. Riots arose in the city and surrounding towns. What started as a peaceful protest turned into a bloody war with another person being shot down. This photograph captures the war between black citizens and the police. One against the other, but calling for peace between them. This black man is taking a stand and calling for a truce between the black people and the police through this simple yet powerful gesture. He is asking the police to not shoot him and look at him as a human being. He has been through a lifetime of racism and even now in time, he has to watch people of his race being shot and killed by the people that are meant to be protecting them. He’s showing what the BLM movement is all about. It is a call to end the violence between these two groups and to make peace between them.  

A picture is not worth a thousand words. It is worth however many words it takes to tell the story behind it. This plea for peace portrays the vulnerability of black people showing surrender to the police and it is a plea for peace. This photograph embodies the Black Lives Matter movement and shows what black people are aiming to achieve. The story being told behind this photograph can truly be taken in numerous different ways, but the main idea of the photograph is to show the internal struggle in this country. This struggle has been going on for centuries and continues to happen today. This photograph captures the hopefulness that one day we will all live in a nation together in peace and in justice, but for now, we will continue fighting for what we all deserve as humans. 
