Time Magazine is showing some interesting "rare and unpublished photos" documenting the Civil Rights movement taken from the Life Magazine archives. Although I know we still have many problems today, I find it amazing some of the activities depicted here took place in my lifetime and in my country. When I look at this photo, from the point of view of 2008, the first thought that comes to my mind is "what were they thinking?" I wonder if the white people terrorizing their fellow citizens in the car remember the moment and are now disgusted with their actions...or do they think about it at all? I know history is all about context, and judging the past from the context of the present usually doesn't provide a complete understanding of historical events. But still...when I see photos like these, especially when many of the events took place in my lifetime, I find it hard to suppress my emotions and "clinically" evaluate the history involved. I guess that's why objective history is usually written generations later when the emotions of the time have subsided. I still can't get passed my question - "what were they thinking?"
01/21/2008
