#1960Now: Photographs of Civil Rights Activists and Black Lives Matter Protests© Sheila Pree Bright, published by Chronicle Books 2018 — *#1960Now: Photographs of Civil Rights Activists and Black Lives Matter Protests*
© Sheila Pree Bright, published by Chronicle Books 2018

By Brigid Kapuvari

The principal pitfall with news outlets detailing the significant events transpiring in our world today is: there’s always a limitation as to what they can (or are willing to) broadcast. There needs to be a filter placed over the story so it is more appropriate for an audience, which often deprives it of the flavor that makes it interesting and tasteful. That’s why it is crucial for the average person to take initiative and flesh out the narrative that’s been stripped to its barest bones.

Sheila Pree Bright does precisely this with her book #1960Now revolving around the Black Lives Matter movement. A fine art photographer and activist-artist, she offers images that immerse this development in a passionate and individualistic light. Bright provides viewers with close-ups on various areas of the scene—on the people, the emotion plastered on their faces, the resilience conveyed through their body language—thus providing an entirely personal, impassioned perspective on it. Moreover, she stresses that the fight for black equality persists and will continue to do so until demands are dutifully met.

#1960Now consists of a myriad of black-and-white photographs that highlight the similarities between the 60’s Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter movement, conjoining past with present and exhibiting that time has not depleted the people’s energies; if anything, their fervors amplified over the years as more and more treacheries unfolded, bringing about minimal change. The featured pictures were captured during recent protests at Ferguson, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Baton Rouge, and Philadelphia, signaling that sentiments are only radiating, the momentum rapidly intensifying.

Throughout the book, Bright presents civilians lifting clenched fists toward the sky, announcing that the battle for just treatment will be infinite, should it take that long to obtain. They wear somber to melancholy expressions, their eyes intent and penetrating, paralyzing the viewers and making them uncomfortable… yet they cannot avert their gaze. Displayed on their signs are expressions of utmost vehemence, exclaiming their woes, frustrations, and rage, as well as the names of (some of the) innocents who lost their lives mercilessly due to police brutality. Most profoundly, every single photograph loans these restless voices a chance to punch against the once impenetrable barrier of ignorance and silence, cracking it bit by bit.

This book also highlights a series of activists, providing a face to the many spirited souls who organized groups and have worked tirelessly to ensure that the people are represented and that progress actually advances. In addition, amid these photographs, there are several commentary essays written by the curators in which illustrates the protests in greater depth, granting the reader with supplementary sensory details that aid in creating a fuller picture and magnify the already stimulating experience. And finally, the curators emphasize on Bright’s determination to immortalize the essence of this movement, showing the ceaseless morality among a population that has endured so much pain.

#1960Now is remarkable not only in the fact that it archives a piece of prominent history but because Bright expresses the Black Lives Matter movement in a way that is undiluted. It’s not overshadowed by fact or opinion, as such events are typically documented through news outlets. It is raw, and it is intoxicating, and it is all-consuming. It is humanity, plainly and unconditionally.