Photographs of Civil Rights Activists and Black Lives Matter Protests
October 15, 2018
In a powerful photo collection, Atlanta photographer-activist Bright documents the Black Lives Matter movement, drawing parallels with the civil rights movement of 1960s. She argues that today’s marches and rallies are a continuation in the fight for equality, and she hopes readers of her book will “seek the common thread that connects the human condition, to examine what people define for themselves.” She places headshots of past leaders of the civil rights movement, such as Roslyn Pope and Joseph Black, alongside some of the leading voices of the Black Lives Matter movement, such as Bree Newsome and Devin Allen. The most striking feature of the book is the range of photos, which showcase the diversity of the groups and individuals who are part of the movement, including children, the elderly, those of different creeds and faiths, LGBT activists, and university students. Bright writes that these are the “young girls and boys, men and women, Black and White, Asian and Latina, Christian and Muslim, who are committed to human rights and civil rights for American citizens.” The haunting images include Alexia Christian’s mother, crying as she protests the death of her musician daughter, who was shot by police in 2015. Bright’s is a moving, thought-provoking work.