The photo essay by Tim Dickinson, titled “Ferguson, Uncensored”, takes the viewer through a horrific, yet courageous, series of photos exposing a reoccurring theme of white dominance over black.  A motif that develops this theme is defense.  An image illustrating this shows a single black man on the street facing a police group of white men.  Clearly outnumbered, the black man stands out in his bright, blue-green shirt against the earth-toned police uniforms, depicting him as the victim in this image.  Though the man faces the group with his hands thrown above his head in surrender position, the white police force, defending itself, aims guns at his body, showing a sense of power and control over the man.  With both subjects defending themselves, the viewer is exposed to the intense white versus black brawl.  

The visual text is directed to the outside audience who is unaware of the discrimination and injustice happening in Ferguson.  The photo, shot by white photographer Scott Olson, is paired with a short written essay by white author Tim Dickinson.  Dickinson and Olson direct the text not only to those who are aware of and against the racial discrimination happening, but also to the unaware, persuading them to feel sympathy for the outnumbered and discriminated black community.  Dickinson states, “legitimate protest of police violence has been met by violent police overreaction” (Dickinson).  Describing the police action as overreacted and violent brings to the viewer the sense that the blacks are the victims in the situation.  The written text functions with the visual text and supports the motif by describing the situation in a way to make the black community appear, as it is, defensive and discriminated.  

The design of this photo puts the viewer in the shoes of the black man.  The shot is long, exposing the entire man’s body, as well as the mass of the police force.  However, it is also an over-the-shoulder shot from behind the black man, making it easier to see what the man is seeing, which is three guns pointing at his body.  This set up allows for the viewer to feel as if the guns are pointing at him or herself, immediately feeling the victimization and siding with the black community in the situation.  While the bluish color of the black male’s shirt is associated with innocence or peace, the red-orange color of the wall behind the police force can be associated with aggression or fear.  This part of the design splits the photo, forcing the viewer to take sides, but also molds the photo, illustrating the white versus black theme.

Symbols employed in the visual text include the pointed gun and the hands up in the air.  The pointed gun symbolizes intent to shoot and hostility, while the hands up symbolizes surrender.  These two symbols, though working together, illustrate the idea of opposing forces: white and black.  Another symbol is the text inside the text reading “fuck the police” on the mailbox.  Isolated, the mailbox looks bad; however, when placed in the mid-ground of a photo of a group of police in riot gear pointing guns at a seemingly innocent man, it becomes justified.  These symbols contribute to the theme’s development by working together to bring about one message in a single photo.

The visual text demands the viewer to take sides in the white versus black brawl.  The photo puts the viewer in the black man’s position, making it easier to relate to the motif as he or she becomes defensive against the discrimination.  This forces the viewer to sympathize for him and form an opinion about the opposing white group.  The text demands that the opinion be negative and detestable towards the police group as they are framed as the bad guys in this photo.  The image appeals to viewer’s emotions because he or she is forced to sympathize with the black man.  In any situation where the subject is outnumbered or discriminated, the viewer will feel for the subject and immediately take its side.  In this case, the viewer is aware of the injustice occurring and depicts the white group as the culprit and the black man as the victim, thus further supporting the theme of white versus black.  

Looking at this visual in different context would change the attitude of the viewer observing the essay.  If the story of the shooting in Ferguson was reversed  a black man shooting a white officer  the viewer would then show no sympathy for the black man in the photo.  It would be reasonable for the police force, as well as the viewer, to depict the man as a victim had there been black demonstrators rioting about further intentions to harm white officers.  This would make it easier for the viewer to take sides, considering a common preconception relating black race to violence.  The theme of white dominance over black would still reoccur in the essay; however, the context would be different, making it easier to side with the white dominants. 

The theme of white versus black can be further examined as white dominance over black.  These themes are developed by the motif of defense.  Though the black man is outnumbered and defensive, the white police force stands armed defending itself.  This motif reoccurs throughout the photo essay as the black subjects defend against police brutality and discrimination, but also as the white subjects defend for the law and what it views as just.  Both subjects in the visual text model defense in their own ways.  By looking at images in Tim Dickinson’s “Ferguson, Uncensored”, one can see a constant visual motif of defense which most readers don’t see; this is important because the motif is developed by a reoccurring theme, and common topic of today’s society, of racial discrimination.
