Photo Analysis

I decided to analyze a photo taken from a march protesting the death of George Floyd. The protest documented occured in the city of Houston on June second of this year, a week or so after his unjust death. This picture spoke to me in ways words can not. George Floyd was suspected of using a counterfeit twenty dollar bill, and was killed by the police. As a result of this extreme police brutality, violent protests erupted all over the country. The reason for this is because George Floyd is not the only innocent black man, or person for that matter, who has been wrongfully killed or abused by the police.

This photo is monochromatic, including a few colors. The only bright colors can be seen in masks or shirts of protestors. This is partially to avoid distraction from the main message, the sign. The lack of a range of colors also represents the tone of the picture. This picture has a tone that’s synonymous with the protests themselves. A tone of rage towards the police and the bystanders of the government. Also, the dull colors represent the mourning that’s occurring simultaneously with the demand for change.

Among all the protestors in the photo, one was holding a camera. This camera symbolizes how important this protest was. The protest that occurred nationwide will be remembered throughout history. This is what our kids will be learning about in history class, ‘how our society has let the police abuse minorities.’

It is crucial that we all stand together as one, because change does not come about from nothing. This image is speaking to everyone in the world who would like to one day live without racism or unnecessary violence. It is even more important to not just learn from history but to realize that the same mistakes are being made over and over again.

As the great Martin Luther King Jr once said “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” I do not believe that his dream has come true but there has been progress. It is important for our generation to actively work towards change and to cut out all of the systemic racism.