Most images are designed to make us feel a certain way or to think on a topic we normally may not have. Images from the ongoing Civil Rights movement are among some of the most controversial and conversation-starting photos there are. The image above is in this category, and was captured at a protest in Charlotte, North Carolina on September 20, 2016 by photographer Johnathan Brashear. His inclusion of detail that may not be easily understood or identified upon a person’s first look at the photo are what make it that much more powerful when realized. In analyzing features such as color, line, contrast, and realism, a more detailed method of interpretation is available. These elements further aid the audience in coming to a conclusion on the photo’s overall meaning of the surprising similarities between parties such as White vs. Black Americans, and between Police Officers vs. Citizens—two issues that have been prevalent for decades. 

Through looking at the history of colored photos such as the one shown above which was first used in the late 1800s, we find that images have had the ability to take on whole new meanings and contain more depth than before through the use of color. While the element of color is not very complex in this photo, it is arguably its most important aspect. The contrast in the skin color of the police officer and the citizen is what makes this photograph so meaningful, due to the fact that it alludes to (and takes place during) Civil Rights activist events and protests. White versus Black has essentially always been a topic of great controversy, and this photo is literally divided down the middle with a White male on one side and a Black male on the other, seemingly a representation for not only the Civil Rights movement, but for America as a whole. The fact that there is no other color inherently present in this picture also speaks volumes, referencing the idea that when these two groups of people have come face to face in times of controversy, it is almost as if there is no one and nothing else around—they are each other’s main point of focus and concern. The fact that we can see the whites of their eyes so well is also important, because from this we can infer that they are both on high alert, and maybe even somewhat scared of the person they are looking at. The division of color in this particular photo could arguably stand for the division of color that has been so present in America since its beginning, and the photographer did right by making it the main focus of the image. 

Another prominent element in this photo includes the aspect of line structure, which serves as a clear dividing void in between the police officer and the Charlotte citizen. While there is no real ‘line’ present, the audience can infer that the space between the two characters is meant to represent the space that has grown in the connection between the police force and people of color in this country. Recently in America we have seen numerous accounts of police brutality affecting people of color, and the protest that this photograph was taken at is a result of this war between the two groups that stems from generations of pent-up emotions on both sides. Another aspect of the idea of ‘invisible line’ can be found through a closer look at each person’s posture in the photo, which could serve as a representation of the attitudes of both sides of this conflict. The citizen seems to almost have a defeatist posture; the line of his back more slouched and curved over, which could possibly represent the attitude that people of color have towards the anguish and hurt that the police force and white people in general have caused them since the country’s founding. While the line of the citizen’s shoulders may seem squared and ready to take a stand, along his back there is a more vulnerable silhouette, which draws emotion from the audience and brings us in close to the story behind the image. The line of the police man’s posture, on the other hand, is a straight and more sturdy silhouette, which could be seen as a sign of fear and defense rather than of one having more strength to stand tall than the other. What with all the protective gear on, this man does not have much of a choice but to have a straight-line appearance to his body, representing the fear and anxiety that police officers experience when they put on their protective gear and are forced to stand tall to go into battle with rioters. All police officers are required to be on the defense in situations like the one in this photo, honoring the oath they took to protect their community and country from harm, and it is not always easy. Finally, a line from the eyes of the police officer to those of the citizen can be found, and serves as one of the photo’s most important symbols. While the two people may be different in just about every aspect, their eyes are almost perfectly lined up with one another, allowing them each a clear view of their opponent, and as some would say, a clear view into the soul of the other person. This aspect I found one of the most touching, because it brought this photo down to such a raw element because this line of sight, while simple, is what unites the two separate entities and allows them to see each other on a more humane level. 

Realism is also an important element of this photo, which is the epitome of a realistic image, because it is a photograph taken of a real event in time. This photograph does not only depict the real conflict between two people, but the reality of America and the divide that has been present between its majority and minority since it was founded. For example, the sheen layer of perspiration on the citizen indicates his struggle and duration during this protest, which could also represent that of all people of color during their lifetimes. Through generations of ‘sweat, blood and tears’ as the saying goes, people of color have fought for their voices to be heard such as this man has fought to be heard at this protest. This element allows for a closer look into the lives of people like the citizen in the photo, and alludes to all of the struggles these protestors represent and defend. Realism can also be seen in the streaks across the protective eye shield on the police officer’s helmet. The cloudiness of these streaks on the place that the officer sees through could represent a clouding of judgement for the police force and of white Americans in general. The protest that this photograph was taken at was initiated because of the clouded judgement of the police force in killing people of color for seemingly unjustified reasons, and therefore the cloudiness on the line of sight of this particular officer alludes to that overall ‘cloudiness’. It could also represent a haze over the eyes of white people in America, or rather the ones that claim racial prejudice is not present today. This ‘haze’ is due to the lack of education or is simply just an effect of the denial that many White people in America are said to have, and this realistic element in the photo that could obscure the officer’s sight could stand for a representation of the overall obscurity in that mindset.

As has been shown in this piece, further analysis of the two parties in this image is essential when looking for the overall, deeper purpose of showing what goes on ‘behind the scenes’ for both White police officers and Black citizens in America. Although this image may not seem complex when looked at for the first time, its color, contrast, line, and elements of realism serve as support of its meaning, and of the author’s purpose in taking it and displaying it to the public. While this photo may be controversial, it is a scene that both parties present in it are all too familiar with. The idea of White vs. Black and Officer vs. Citizen has become one of the main focuses in news over the past year, and almost any time the television is turned on there is another story regarding this ongoing war. Most people would argue that the Civil Rights movement ended a long time ago, but from analyzing this photo and its story along with many others like it, we can conclude that the movement has not even come close to its end. The elements that photographer Johnathan Brashear chose to include in this photo are what make it shine out of the dozens that he took on this day. His attention to detail is the reason that there is room for interpretation and creation of one’s own meaning, which represents a true artist. There is no drawn out point or meaning present in the photo, and it would not be such a powerful image if there was. While a small symbol in a sea of others like it, this photo allows the audience to broaden their horizons and opinions on both sides of the struggle that it depicts, and aids in working towards the unity that America so desperately needs. 
