African American Photography Analysis

As photography grew and developed after its introduction in the 19th century, it became easier for amateurs to take photos. With racism running rampant through the different facets of American society, African Americans began to view photography as an outlet for self-expression and an opportunity to diminish stereotypes. By capturing images of their daily lives, they were given the power to change and shape perceptions of race. African American photographers began to share the goal of gaining social justice and equality through their images. Ultimately, a photograph’s ability to elicit emotion assisted African Americans in gaining empathy and understanding from those who were unaware of the extent of their oppression.
African American abolitionists
They were often viewed as “historical documents reflecting ways of seeing a group of people emerging from slavery and struggling to establish themselves as equal players on the uneven field of American democracy” (Johnson 1). By examining both the private and public moments, both the good and the bad, captured on film, a person could gain insight into African Americans’ vulnerabilities and gradually gather a strong understanding of the similarities African Americans’ lives shared with the white Americans. “Photography [deals] with the actual” and by viewing photos of African Americans in everyday settings, people were provided with visible verification that many of the stereotypes promoting racism were not only unfair, but also untrue (Szarkowski 99). Seeing African American men, women, and children doing common daily activities humanized them in the eyes of those who played a part in perpetuating
Unlike documentary style photography, which serves as “a tool for providing authentic visual evidence of social inequities,” vernacular photography is not intended to communicate a particular message about social issues (Rosenblum 384). Some have argued vernacular photography has “an honesty, transparency and authenticity lacking in more sophisticated high-art kinds of photography” (Johnson 1). Originally, photography took skill and patience very few people possessed, but as new methods were developed, its surpassed people’s expectations in its abilities to met different artistic, scientific and social needs. “An artist is a man who seeks new structures in which to order and simplify his sense of the reality of life” (Szarkowski 103). In the case of African American photographers, it was the reality of their lives and of all African American people, which needed to be ordered, simplified and clearly communicated to others to put an end to social