NYT Novel Treatment of an Old Yet Very Topical Issue

[Boy]

I was intrigued by this, to me, novel way of telling a topical story using an old B&W image as its center piece, reaffirming and accentuating the original sense of frozen-in-time absurdity and horror that the photographer captured.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...americans.html

[handrawn]

nice photograph[s]

I would treat the blurb the same way I treat the writings of a theatre critic

[handrawn]

reflecting I think I might expand to explain what I mean:

One pair...[of hands]... belongs to the young white boy, who grasps the mullion with the entitled assurance of someone who knows his birthright

not what I see

what I see is a young lad who is insecure but not wanting to show it, not sure of how to react to what is going on, and is holding on for support, maybe even subconciously, comfort

who knows, were were not there, we are not mind readers.. chattering class woffle [thats yorkie for hot air] - it's the curse of the modern age opinion is worth more that analysis.. think I'll go write a blog about it...not

[Boy]

reflecting I think I might expand to explain what I mean:

One pair...[of hands]... belongs to the young white boy, who grasps the mullion with the entitled assurance of someone who knows his birthright

not what I see

what I see is a young lad who is insecure but not wanting to show it, not sure of how to react to what is going on, and is holding on for support, maybe even subconciously, comfort

who knows, were were not there, we are not mind readers.. chattering class woffle [thats yorkie for hot air] - it's the curse of the modern age opinion is worth more that analysis.. think I'll go write a blog about it...not

Handrawn, what about both -- yours and the author's -- interpretations being right? The boy might be insecure as a child often is while growing up and, at the same time, he can be confident that he will not be treated as the African Americans were at that time. Perhaps this double standard even confuses him and he, as such, embodies this.

The NYT presentation is an artist's attempt at laying bare some of the harsh and ugly dynamics and roots of racism. It talks to us all, whatever our individual or shared identity.

To me this artwork is about the pain of denying the truth that we’re all human and, hence, equal. There’s the pain that's felt by those who are on the receiving end of injustice and there’s the pain that’s unfelt by those who self-righteously impose it.

[gwpriester]

Boy +1 Beautifully said. And if I am not mistaken, English is not your first language?

[Boy]

Thanks, Gary.

I studied English in the US. I love the English language but am still nervous about being corrected by native speakers (hence my edit). This unease, I'm discovering, was/is covering another, deeper vulnerability: speaking from the heart in public. It's almost like learning a new language. :-)

[handrawn]

Handrawn, what about both -- yours and the author's -- interpretations being right? The boy might be insecure as a child often is while growing up and, at the same time, he can be confident that he will not be treated as the African Americans were at that time. Perhaps this double standard even confuses him and he, as such, embodies this.

The NYT presentation is an artist's attempt at laying bare some of the harsh and ugly dynamics and roots of racism. It talks to us all, whatever our individual or shared identity.

To me this artwork is about the pain of denying the truth that we’re all human and, hence, equal. There’s the pain that's felt by those who are on the receiving end of injustice and there’s the pain that’s unfelt by those who self-righteously impose it.

yes of course - and you are starting to go into a more detailed and considered analysis of the photograph there, which is what it merits; that is the beauty of really good social photography, it does not deserve to be labelled in such a simplistic way as was done, but hey, that's [social-medis age] journalism for you...

[Egg Bramhill]

I think someone’s been staring at a photograph too long and giving pretentious assumptions.

[handrawn]

nice work if you can get it...

[gwpriester]

I think the photograph and the accompanying essay is very well observed.

I have lived in the United States as a citizen born here for 78 1/2 years. I love my country. But we have a lot to answer for. We have been the land of opportunity for many but also a land of persecution and oppression for others. Being born white and middle class has afforded me privileges not afforded to others.

For the young black man sitting in the back of the trolley, being treated as a second class citizen, with little hope to better himself is a regrettable and sad fact of life. And as you know from watching the news, not much has changed.

I do not want to get political here. So I will leave it that it was a poignant and reflective essay and a nice use of web technology to tell the story.