The Civil Rights Movement was a direct result of African American's feelings of enough is enough. The progressive stages in African American history might seem to signify gradual improvement but for the African American they were just different.
This movement for racial equality had several strategies from the nonviolent protest encouraged by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the by any means necessary encouraged by Malcolm X. No one of these was more important or more productive than the other, but together they created the beginnings of equality. To visualize this period we will look at the following photographs.
Photograph #11
Caption:
"Sheriff Jim Clark arrests two demonstrators who displayed placards on the steps of the federal building in Selma. Howard Zinn, notebook in hand, appears in the final frame just behind Sheriff Clark" photograph by Danny Lyon October 1963 (Lyons, 99)
Description:
Danny Lyon layout one page using seven photos, six small frame one large in successions, three on top and three on the bottom.
Top frame one -- Two African American Men are standing on the top landing of the steps leading into the federal building. Each man stands on either side of the door so as not to block it. The gentleman on the right holds a sign that says, "Register Now for Freedom Now". The gentleman on the left holds a signs that says, "Register to Vote". The picture is framed by the railings of the stairs.
Top frame two -- This is wider view of frame one that shows a seated at the base of the steps and another seated on the landing off to the right at the railing. Finally, it shows two officers walking up the stairs.
Top frame three - The first officer has reached the man on the left and is taking his sign away. Officer number two is walking up the stairs toward the man on the right. The other men are observing the confrontation.
Bottom frame one -- Officer number two has reached the man on the right and is confronting him. Officer number one is leading the man on the left down the stairs. There is a third officer walking toward officer number one. Onlookers continue to observe passively.
Bottom frame two -- Both men have been escorted down the stairs and headed to the sidewalk, by the three officers. Onlookers still observe passively.
Bottom frame three -- They have reached the sidewalk some distance from the federal building steps. Two officers are writing down information. An addition to the previous onlookers stands a white gentleman in a suit with notebook in the back probable a reporter in the back at the base of the steps.
Large Center Final Frame -- The three officers are escorting the two lobbyists away presumably to Jail on a breach of peace charge. In the background a white man holding a wrapped cord is present, probably a cameraman for the reporter.
Interpretation:
The photographer took these photographs from the beginning of the sidewalk. He progressively widens the lens taking pictures simultaneous to help create a motion picture affect in continuous frames.
The African American gentlemen stances are not threatening; the signs offer an encouraging message and direction on where to go. The passive onlookers only add to the peacefulness of the display. Officers enter the scene with billy clubs in hand as if to attempt to aggravate the situation to some sort of violence.
The demonstrators maintain their calm demeanor, showing no emotion throughout the ordeal. The disruption of this peaceful demonstration is being recorded by the photographer in still photos and possibly on film by the reporter.
This demonstration shows these men acting on their inalienable "Right to Assemble" and to have "Freedom of Speech". Rights that have not been granted to them to share with their fellow Americans, although the constitution says all men are created equal.
(Complete Lesson I {guided} & Lesson III {independently})