
When people hear about Ferguson, Missouri, many remember the event that sparked a nationwide debate in August 2014: Michael Brown, an unarmed black man was shot and killed by police. His murder started a series of violent protests that opened the eyes of many into the still-present issues of racism and police brutality. Ferguson, Uncensored, an article by Tim Dickinson, presents real images of life in Ferguson after the event, without filters or government censorship. He shows the raw view of a town forever changed by the unnecessary actions of police. By analyzing the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” image in the article, the visual elements of a black man with hands up, multiple police pointing guns, and f*** the police written on a post office box in Ferguson, Missouri all contribute to exposing the present social issue of injustice by law enforcement.  

One striking aspect of the image is a black man, standing with his back to the camera, holding his hands up as if to say, “I’m innocent, I didn’t do anything wrong.” He appears to be an unarmed civilian who is walking down a street in town during protests. His back is turned so that the main focus of the image is not on him, but towards the police. He raises his hands to show that he’s not fighting them, but rather cooperating and still receiving this treatment. The photographer wanted viewers to reflect on the actions displayed by police, rather than those of the man. As a result of Michael Brown’s murder, there has been an increasing target on black individuals for crimes and wrongdoing. Civilians and police continue to show that racism in law and life is still occurring, despite the proven fact that not all blacks are guilty of criminal action. The Black Lives Matter movement has made a drastic imprint on society in recent years because of events similar to this. People from all social standings and races fight for black equality and stand up for black mistreatment. The expectation of a black man to commit a crime shows the current state of mind of many Americans. If a white man was shown rather than a black man in the image, it would be a different picture altogether. Instead of an illustration that portrays violent action, peace and equality would be abundant. News stories with a white man being shot and killed by police is unheard of, and even unexpected. The visual element of a black man with his hands up symbolizes the continual strain of the relationship between civilians and police. 

Another compelling visual element of the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” picture is the large number of police who are all pointing their guns to one man. Multiple cops have drawn their weapons on a seemingly innocent person. When the viewer first looks at the image, the way police are portrayed dominates the photograph. They are shown in bulky combat uniforms, consisting of boots, vests, and gas masks. There is also a definite contrast in numbers of officers to the one man. There are at least six of them targeting one person, completely overpowering him. In addition, the black man is blurred, but the police are in full, clear focus. The decision of the photographer to display the photo from this angle is intentional: he wanted to open the eyes of viewers to the unjust side of law enforcement. If the photo was portrayed from behind the cops, the focus would be on the black man and what he was doing, not the excessive and unnecessary actions of the police. The movements of the civilian depicted in the photo do not permit the numerous cops to draw their guns on him. Even though the Ferguson protests were violent, the police reaction didn’t always need to be. Unless they were being directly attacked, there was no reason for a black man walking by to be targeted. The true purpose of Tim Dickinson’s article was to hold nothing back in display of images from Ferguson. He wanted to show viewers the harsh reality of what police didn’t want the public to see. 

A smaller, yet essential part of this image is a post office box with “F*** the police” written on the side. This visual element would not be visible if the image was taken from a different perspective, behind the police for example. Even though the words aren’t a main focus of the image as a whole, those three words hold heavy meaning. The writing shows the disrespect and distrust that people have for the police because of events such as the Michael Brown murder. The actions of a select few have brought about a collective feeling about the group as a whole, culminating in the vandalism displayed, among other things. Police have a standard that they are held to across the nation. It is common knowledge that they are supposed to always help those in need, work to control crime, and also stay neutral when it comes to the people they come in contact with daily. There should be no discrimination or inequality for any reason. If someone has committed a crime, they should be punished, but if not, there should be no irrelevant response taken based on race. “F*** the police” was written by the public in reply to prejudice imposed on black Americans by those who should display opposite behaviors. 

Tim Dickinson pushes media boundaries with Ferguson, Uncensored, but in good reason. In just one image, he attacks current societal issues through his theme of injustice and police brutality. Each visual element contributes to the larger message at hand. The many small aspects within the image all add to the impact of the picture as a whole. The visual text is not one that can be looked over: it demands viewer attention. Civilians have taken charge in the form of protests, spanning across the country, as a result of police brutality. Not all police officers are to blame, but the ones who are shouldn’t get away with these inappropriate actions: they must be held accountable. 
