Name: ________________________

Date: ______________

Period: _________

Photo Reflection:
Student Objective: Students will examine the progression of Jim Crow segregation and
the civil rights movement through primary sources (photographs/readings) and view
video footage.
Directions:
Photo reflections allow students to identify key aspects of certain topics by grouping and
displaying interrelated ideas in a visual format. In this assignment, you will need to
search for primary source images of Jim Crow segregation and the civil rights
movement. These images can be political cartoons, headlines from major newspapers,
photographs, and so forth. Afterwards, you will write a paragraph describing the images.
Here is a detailed outline of the assignment:
1. Where do I look for images? The Library of Congress and PBS are excellent
sources to begin looking for images (click on the hyperlinks). Both the Library of
Congress and PBS provide photo galleries entitled Photographs Enforcing
Racial Discrimination and From Segregation to Selma: View Iconic Photos from
the Civil Rights Movement.
2. How many pictures do I need? Students will search for two images illustrating
Jim Crow segregation and two images capturing civil rights activists in action.
3. Formatting: Pretend you are at a museum and you are going to display these
images for an audience.
a. Use a poster board (will be provided in class) to glue your images
b. Provide a colorful background to highlight your images
c. Write a caption underneath each image. The caption will be an 8-sentence
paragraph describing the image. The caption must include:
i. The source where the image was derived from
ii. The name of the photographer (if possible)
iii. The date of publication (if possible)
iv. Historical background-What is Jim Crow segregation? What is the
civil rights movement? (2 sentences)
v. Describe the image: What is happening? (4 sentences)
vi. Your opinion: What do you think of the image? (2 sentences)
vii. Review the lecture and guided notes to help you write your caption
4. Can I work with a partner? No. Each student will do his or her own work.

Photo Reflection Grading Rubric (15 Points)

Content

Layout

Mechanic
s

Outstanding
5

Good
4

Acceptable
3

Poor
2

Failing
1-0

Caption includes a
historical
background,
description of the
image, and
opinion of the
image. Sources
are included.
Meets 8-sentence
requirement.

Caption includes a
historical
background,
description of the
image, and
opinion of the
image. Sources
are included.
Caption contains 6
sentences.

Caption includes
some aspects of a
historical
background,
description of the
image, and opinion
of the image. Some
sources are
included. Caption
includes 4
sentences or less.

Sentences
are not
developed
or missing.
No effort.

Photo reflection is
colorful. Images
are appropriate to
the topic. Contains
4 images (2 Jim
Crow segregation
images/2 civil
rights images).
Images are
arranged nicely
and neatly.

Photo reflection
could be more
colorful. Images
are appropriate to
the topic. Contains
4 images (2 Jim
Crow segregation
images/2 civil
rights images).
Needs to be more
organized.

Photo reflection
lacks color. Images
are appropriate to
the topic. Contains
less than 4 images
(2Jim Crow
segregation
image/1 civil rights
image or vice
versa). Lacks
organization.

Caption does not

contain misspelled
words or
grammatical
errors. Caption is
detailed and
properly
punctuated.

Caption contains a
few misspelled
words or
grammatical
errors. Caption is
slightly detailed
and properly
punctuated.

Captions contains
misspelled words
and grammatical
errors. Caption
lacks details and
poorly punctuated.

Caption lacks
a historical
background,
description of
the image,
and opinion
of the image.
Sources are
not included.
Captions
seemed
rushed.
Minimal
effort.
Photo
reflection
appears
rushed.
Images are
appropriate to
the topic.
Contains less
than 4
images (1
Jim Crow
segregation
image/1civil
rights image).
Minimal
effort.
Caption
contains
numerous
misspelled
words and
grammatical
errors. Needs
to be

Pictures are
missing. No
effort.

Sentences
are not fully
constructed
or missing.

rewritten.

Grand Total: _________/15

Sample Photo Reflection

Jim Crow Segregation Images

Photographer Russell Lee captured the following photograph in July 1939 in Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma. Lee titled the photograph Man drinking at a water cooler in the street
car terminal. Jim Crow segregation was enacted between the end of Reconstruction
(1877) and the start of the civil rights movement in the 1950s. Jim Crow laws enforced
racial segregation between whites and blacks in the South. However, Lees photograph

revealed that segregation was a greater issue and spread beyond the borders of the
Deep South and into the Midwest. In addition, it appears that the sign on the left, white
women, colored men categorizes women and people of color as equals or secondclass citizens. Not only does the photograph capture segregation between races, it also
highlights elements of poverty in the Midwest. In my opinion, Jim Crow laws were
unnecessary social practices that marginalized blacks in American society. Lastly, race
relations have not improved since the civil rights movements and our generation is
entering a new wave of racial equality.
Source: The Library of Congress- Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial
Discrimination

Photographer Marion Post Wolcott captured the following photograph in Memphis,

Tennessee in October 1939. Wolcott titled the photograph Secondhand clothing stores
and pawn shop on Beale Street. Jim Crow segregation was an extension of the Plessy
v. Ferguson (1896) Supreme Court case in which the separate but equal doctrine was
constitutional. In other words, the segregation or separation of whites and blacks was
legal. Even though blacks were segregated in mainstream society, they formed their
own tight knit communities and established their own businesses. For instance, Hotel
Clark claims it provided the best service for colored only. Furthermore, blacks assisted
each other financially through loans. Additionally, blacks adapted their own subculture of

the Blues in Beale Street. Regardless of segregations emphasis on racial separation

discrimination, it seems that it brought blacks closer together and established a support
system for each other.
Source: The Library of Congress- Photographs of Signs Enforcing Racial
Discrimination

Civil Rights Activists in Action Images

In August 28, 1963, civil rights activists marched on Washington, D.C. The full name of
the photographer or the title of the photograph were not mentioned. However, the PBS
website notes it was derived from the Library of Congress and Reuters. The civil rights
movement was a call to end racial discrimination, segegration, and guranteeing African
Americans civil and voting rights. Civil rights activists are holding signs that address the
issues that need to be recognized by the government. For example, one states, we
march for first class citizenship, now! and we march for intergrated schools, now!

Ironically, the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1955) Supreme Court case ruled
that the separate but equal docterine of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was
unconstituional. Yet eight years after the ruling, African Americans are still fighting for
integrated schools. All in all, this image shows that non-violent protests and unity can
lead to sociopolitcal reform.
Source: PBS- From Segregation to Selma: View Iconic photos from the Civil Rights
movement

According to the PBS website, a young woman casted her ballot at Cardoza High
School in Washington, D.C., in November 3, 1964. Similar to the photograph above,
PBS retrieved this photograph from the Library of Congress and Reuters. Based on the
photograph, it was evident that the civil rights activists fight for voting rights was
working. Eventually the Voting Rights Act of 1965 would be passed by President Lyndon
B. Johnson. In addition, whites and blacks did not appear to be affected by segregation
in the northern parts of the United States because the African American woman would
not have voted in the same room as the white woman. One question I have in mind is:
Did African Americans in the North experience discriminatory voting practices similar to
the South? In sum, the fight for civil and voting rights was achieved in the 1960s;

however, racial discrimination is one of the elements that still lurks in contemporary
society.
Source: PBS- From Segregation to Selma: View Iconic photos from the Civil Rights
movement