Making Sense Of It All

Seeing "The Black Panthers: Making Sense of History" was a surreal experience, like something out of a movie.

One of the photos that really stood out to me was of the funeral of George Jackson. The picture was of his casket in a Church with many fellow black panthers gathered. Huey P. Newton gave the eulogy while they listened in silence. What caught my eye, was that two armed panthers were standing beside Jackson's casket-- even within a church, a holy and sacred place.

I believe all of the pictures being in black and white gave a striking and memorable effect, especially this particular photo. The vectors that gave a certain impression were, that while everyone was gathered to remember a fallen panther, safety and security could not be forgotten even for a moment. The two armed men stood as a symbol of their struggle and forced people to acknowledge their presence. The perspective of the picture is focused towards the two men and Huey P. Lewis giving the eulogy. Like most of the photos in the exhibit, the gaze of the subjects were away from the viewer, engaging a person in both direct and indirect ways.

Analyzing the faces of the people in the photos, taking into account the time they were taken, and they environments they were in-- the pictures represent a very hard time for Blacks in America and show the real struggles they faced day in and day out. From a historical context, looking at all the people involved in the movement through the photos taken was like reliving the moment, though I have not seen it with my own eyes before. This is a part of history that we rarely see and it is a powerful, inspiring and unforgettable time that we should never forget.