 Throughout the article Ferguson Uncensored, Scott Olsen’s images depict the need for peace and unity within society. Whether it be the mother of one of the recently deceased, or two white sympathizers supporting the movement, the images capture a grueling and haunting representation of the events in Ferguson, Missouri. In a sense, there was a war going on in Ferguson, with almost nothing to stop it. The images Olsen gathered, epitomize the need for unity in our society, by showing the racial oppression epidemic is still alive and growing.

In an image that stands out among others, the mother of Mike Brown is raising both hands in the air, while being supported by the pastor. Due to the large wooden cross in the background, it is clear that this photograph was taken in a church.  The resolution of the cross is blurry, but due to the angle of the picture, the cross is one of the main features in the photo. By looking closely at the cross, one will see that there are silver lines that surround it, which draw viewers to look at the cross before any other part of this picture. This blurry cross symbolizes God, watching over the mother of Mike Brown. As a victim of racial oppression, the Mother needs to have faith, knowing change is soon inevitable. Typically, elements that are blurry, are not important to a given picture. However, Olsen blurs out the cross as a metaphor, stating, no matter how tough a situation is, God is always there, whether one can see clearly or not. 

Within the same image, there are motifs that make this moment slightly more powerful than the others that were captured. The Mother and Pastor are raising their hands to symbolize unity, and the hope for an end to racial oppression. In her hands, are two tissues, indicating that she was crying while standing in front of the congregation. The angle of the photo is what brings meaning and influence to the moment. Due to the angle of the image, neither the mother nor Pastor is looking into the camera. Rather, they are looking out into the hundreds of people who came to support her, as well as the justice her son deserves. She looks beyond the camera, demonstrating that she wasn’t only disheartened by the death of her son, but also where our nation stands today. She knew that because she was the mother of Mike Brown, people would listen to what she had to say, and how she said it. As she stood on the alter, hands high in the air, Leslie McSpadden preached the need for unity beyond Ferguson, looking far past the people in the church. 

In the image titled, “Turned Away”, a mother is holding her child, as a crowd of an estimated 20 police officers stand in the distance. The look on the Mother’s face says it all. She is disgusted, worried, and mortified of the place she calls home. What makes this image unique, is that the protestor and her child are both white. This establishes that people of all races were affected by the events in Ferguson, but in different ways. On the bodies of both the Mother and her child, are sayings illustrate derogatory terms towards the police. On the arm of the child it states, “No Justice”, and due to the age of the child, it is clear someone else wrote this on her body. Also, on the chest of the mother, it states, “FTP”, short for, “F**k The police.” The fact that these protestors are white, yet fighting for the justice of the African American community, shows that this is not about skin color, but rather equality for all. Both the woman and her child are looking past the camera, frightened to see where her country stands. In this case, it represents the problems she is looking at lies much deeper than the ones in Ferguson. Just because the incident happened in this community, does not mean that racial oppression and social injustice are not precedent throughout our country, and even the world. 

The woman in the photo has vibrant blue eyes and because of this, her eyes are the focal point of this picture. Within her eyes, one can sense the worry, distress, and wretched times this woman and her community are going through. On the contrary, all of the police officer’s eyes are not visible to the audience. They are either blurred out, not looking at the camera, or the officer happens to be wearing sunglasses. This is not a coincidence, and it exhibits the superior attitude of the police during the riots in Ferguson. 

Within these images, Olsen uses people’s eyes as windows to their soul. In the image “Turned Away”, the officer’s eyes are not shown, therefore representing the idea that these  men were “turning a blind eye”. By not showing the officers eyes, this picture touches upon the idea that these officers are oblivious to the turmoil they are causing. Their brutality is truly affecting the lives of each other, as well as increasing the racial oppression epidemic in this country. As about 20 officers stand in the distance, they are blind to the results of their violence toward minorities. Eyes enable one to see and connect with the people around them.  The fact that the officer’s eyes are not shown, suggests that they’re unmindful of the fact that there is a problem in our country between police brutality and racial oppression. The visual motifs and elements drawn from this picture are not merely about skin color, but rather the country living up to the expectations of a quote from the pledge of allegiance, “liberty and justice for all.” 

  The most powerful element throughout the photographs is Olsen’s use of eye contact.  In both images, there is a pattern which includes neither woman looking into the camera. This represents both woman looking into a greater picture, rather than only looking at the events in Ferguson. Both women are clearly hurt by the events and are doing everything in their power to speak out for the justice of all people. Within both images, the motifs collaborate for a common theme that when any race is affected by racial oppression, it will have a detrimental effect on the rest of society. 

As the need for change becomes prevalent, so too does the hope for amity. Seeing the mother of the victim crying, while standing in front of the public, exhibits the pain and suffering this atrocity caused. The mother of Mike Brown, and the traumatized protestors, look beyond the camera, emphasizing that racial oppression epidemic lies much further than Missouri. While the events in Ferguson tore a community apart, it opened up the eyes of all people across the country. Racism has been a problem in this country for years, and these pictures elude to the fact that it is still very much alive in the country today. Settlers came to this country to escape the oppression of the British rule. Yet, why is it that this country has almost reverted back to the regime, that its founders once escaped? The last line of the country’s national anthem states, “liberty and justice for all”, yet both pictures exhibit the negligence of these values.
