“Ferguson, Uncensored” by Tim Dickinson is a visual text that presents a series of pictures capturing the raw hostility and distress that fractured the Ferguson community. The visual text as a whole consists of fifteen different pictures and each of them depicting struggles those of Ferguson went through. Although each picture relates to the theme of the story as a whole, the picture depicted in the book is the seventh picture that illustrates the confrontation between a Hands Up, Don’t Shoot participant and law enforcement representatives. The text following the picture explains what is being shown and provides details about how chaotic the situation with Ferguson was. The picture and text help develop, illustrate and contribute to the theme of the work as a whole. The design of this visual text effects the way it is interpreted, it appeals to the reader’s emotions, and there are multiple unstated assumptions within it. 

First, the design of the text affects the way it is interpreted. The visual text is set up with the picture first and followed by a short summary of the situation and what the picture is showing. Having the picture placed before the written text gets the reader to think about what is possibly going on, and then they are able to read about it and compare it to his or her thoughts. The picture was captured seconds before “the killing of unarmed 18-year-old Michael ‘Mike Mike’ Brown-shot twice in the head by police officer Darren Wilson” (Dickinson 173). When first looking at the picture, one would not be able to determine what exactly is going on, but having the written text following it allows the reader to be informed on what is happening. The picture draws the reader in and the text gives the reader a better sense of what is happening in the picture. The situation in Ferguson, Missouri was a very intense and serious matter. If the photo essay was formatted in any other way, it may cause the reader to understand it in a different way. 

The visual text “Ferguson, Uncensored” contains a picture and a text describing the protest and law enforcement after the 2014 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, which appeals to the emotions of the one viewing and reading it. When first looking at the picture, one may have multiple possible situations running through his or head. After reading the text, the viewer is able to understand the situation and put themselves in the place of those who lived through it. This photo essay “captures the grit, hope, and horror of life on the restive streets of Ferguson” (Dickinson 174). Both the picture and the text allow one to fully feel the situation and capture the chaos of it. Knowing that the picture was taken seconds before an 18-year-old boy was shot to death, turns the reader against the police. This short essay brings multiple different emotions because the situation itself is horrifying, but the boy was later deemed untrustworthy. Overall, this text appeals to the emotions of the one reading it, and allows him or her to visualize it as if they were living it. 

The unstated assumptions in the visual text help develop the work as a whole. The written text is not long and detailed because there are many things unsaid that the reader will just assume. For example, although it’s not stated in the text, one would immediately assume that the situation in Ferguson had to do with race. Shown in the picture, multiple white police officers are surrounding one black teenager with guns. After the death of this kid, multiple protests were brought upon the city of Ferguson and all from black colored people. In the text, the boy is described as an “unarmed black teenager” (Dickinson 173). Those details of the boy are not needed to be mentioned, when it is noticeable in the picture itself. The fact that he was described in this way immediately leads the reader to assume that the outrage has to deal with race. Multiple people say race is a big problem in the world today, and this visual text only emphasizes that. 

In conclusion, the design of the visual text, the appeal to emotions, and the unstated assumptions all lead to the understanding of the text as a whole. This photo essay is a short depiction and summary of the beginning of an intense protest. The picture shows one of many terrible things that went on in Ferguson and is followed up with a description of how escalated the situation turned out to be. Reading about the death of an 18-year-old boy will lead the viewer into wanting to know more information about this horrifying time. There are multiple things that lead to an overall conclusion of a visual text but the three things mentioned are the most noticeable in this specific photo essay. 
