The end of a segregated era and the beginning of an integrated future

When you think of how bad the African-American race was treated before the Civil Rights act was passed you think of these first few photographs in the gallery. This photo is symbolic of how the African-Americnas were thought of as animals and lesser than the whites. The police are treating the group of marchers as a big group of cattle and not thinking that these people are humans and don't deserve to be treated this brutally.

This picture is interesting and shows that not all white people had the same ideals during this time of racial segregation. There are White and African-Americans in the pool together. The angry white man outside of the pool is the motel manager and is pouring chemicals into the pool thinking that the African-Americans are somehow contaminating his pool. Later all the people in the pool were arrested. James Kerlin caught the angry expression on the managers face, pouring out the chemicals into the pool. He caught this at the perfect moment because the girl in the pool has a huge smile on her face because she is enjoying herself.

This photograph is violent in its nature but what is surprising about this picture is how the African-Americans are showing no fear by smiling and laughing at the firefighters. This is unfortunately yet another act toward the african-American race being treated like animals by hosing them down. The women standing in the front of the crowd of protestors dosn't look phased by the water and even looks like she is stepping closer toward the firefighters.

This picture is interesting because there is no violence in this picture just plain segregation. Jacob Lawrence went down to the south on a trip and he painted when he was down there. The floor to ceiling wall dividing the bar into two rooms is obvious racisim, but when you look deeper you can see that there are whites drinking in comfort with a ceiling fan to cool them. Meanwhile, the African-Americans are standing, with no fan to cool them. This is significant because this bar is in the south where the weather is extremely hot and humid.

These next two pictures in the gallery are of a multigenerational family in the south, the Thorntons, when segregation was still prevalent. Gordon Parks the photographer is trying to show the day to day struggles of what its like to be African-American during this time. He captures a mother and daughter dressed up going shopping, they are only allowed to use the colored entrance and part of the department store, which is clearly depicted by the neon sign above them.

This photograph was taken by the same photographer, Gorgon Parks. He is conveying that these African-American children are not allowed to play in this whites only park. The interesting and sad thing about this photo is that this depicts what seems to be a normal group of kids but because of their skin color they are unable play at the same parks as everyone else. You can really see how badly these kids want to play by their grasp on the fence and the slouching of disappointment that their bodies are showing.

This photograph was taken by Connie Harse. She is showing that not all whites have the same ideals about the African-American race. This woman is part of CORE, which stands for Congress of Racial Equality. She is standing up for the African-Americans by protesting a racially segregated diner, telling all races not to support their beliefs by supporting their business.

This photograph taken by Dennis Brack, is the Historical Garbage Mans Parade or better know as the Parade with Shouts. 1,300 African-American sanitation workers in the city of memphis went on strike and were joined by hundreds of white supporters of there cause. This integration is exactly what Martin Luther King Jr., the man who was the mastermind of this movement , wanted. Dennis Brack perfectly captured the immensity and racially diverse group of protestors who walked the streets of memphis fighting for equal rights.