When Pictures Make History

Documenting the Brutality of Racism in America
Photographs of the harsh tactics adopted as countermeasures against civil rights protesters horrify Americans and provide a moral foundation for the country to turn against the parts of the south where racist practices remained institutionalized. Pictures like this one, taken by Charles Moore at a demonstration in Birmingham in 1963, were published around the world, and helped mobilize public support for the Civil Rights Act, passed by Congress in 1964.

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