One of Moore’s May 3, 1963 photographs of the Children’s Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama
Katherine Bussard, who is the curator of photography at the Princeton University Art Museum, writes about street photography during civil rights struggle. In her book “Unfamiliar Streets: the photography of Richard Avedon, Charles Moore, Martha Rosler, and Philip-Lorca diCorcia” she discusses Moore’s famous photo of the Birmingham demonstrations, “They Fight a Fire That Won’t Go Out.” A link to some information here.
Year after year similar images are shared to serve as our memory of how black people were treated in this country. How odd we look upon other countries mistreatment of people in a light of sorrow. There was an out pouring toward Paris during the bombing and yet, the white human spirit falls short in recognizing the current oppression that black people continue to under in this country. This past week in Continuing Conversation the topic Watching Up in White Supremacy was discussed with participants expressing a great deal of resistance in accepting that they are a part and contribute to whiteness as perceived as the superior race dominating all social infrastructures. I am sure that I would be just as amazed and surprised if I were to wake up one day to realize the dream that I lived in was harming others and I had not noticed the black lash… So, this year as Black History month and other exhibits display the public pain and shame of this country – take a step back, allow time to see the injustice, and open your hearts to feel. Yes, I am asking you to go to that space as you would go for your child or pet and feel as your feeling is a part of our healing…we need you to feel the pain experienced…