By: Lynda Mosby

1. Desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas By: Lynda Mosby

2. Background Information • This photo was taken by Will Counts in 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas. • Will Counts was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for photographs he took during the September 1957 desegregation battle at Central High School in Little Rock. • This photograph was named by The Associated Press as one of the top 100 photographs of the 20th century.

3. What is your initial reaction to this photo? My initial reaction was shock. However, in the society we live in, it is hard to expect any other situation. Even today there are still people who would shout at African Americans like this. Racial prejudice was not only common in the 1950’s and 1960’s, but is also common today.

4. What is in the foreground of this photo? The background? Is the lighting natural or artificial? In the foreground, you see an African American walking to school carrying books. In the background, you see a White American shouting at the African American girl. The lighting is natural. The photo looks as if it was taken outside rather than in a studio with professional lighting.

5. How would the photo be different if it was in color? Is there any significance in the African American’s dress being white? • Having the photo in color would have made it seem more modern. The photo was taken during the late 1950’s so one would expect it to be in black and white. • White is a color that represents pureness and innocence. It shows that the girl is innocent. She hasn’t done anything to the white people to offend them, yet she is their target.

6. Who is the intended audience? What was the photographer’s intention when taking the photo? • The intended audience is any adult. Small children may not grasp the content of the photo. Adults understand that the photo represents racial prejudice in the late 1950’s and 1960’s. • The photographer’s intention was to show how the desegregation of the school systems affected the African Americans. It shows how the whites ridiculed them without a second thought.

7. How does this photo appeal to your emotions? • This photo makes me feel sympathetic towards the African Americans. It also makes me feel anger and pity for the white people who couldn’t accept the African Americans as people.

8. Is this source credible? • Yes, this source is credible. This photo was nominated for the Pulitzer prize and was also named by The Associated Press as one of the top 100 photographs of the 20th century.

9. Bibliography • Counts, Will. Desegregation in Little Rock. Picturing Texts. • The New York Times Archives. Published October 10, 2001. • The Central Arkansas Library System. 2010.