Time of Change (Damn the Defiant)

A chain of arms runs across Bruce Davidson’s photograph, linked by the firm grasps of two white police officers holding a young Black woman at a civil rights protest. Her torn white cardigan sweater hints at the force used in her arrest. Davidson includes in the background a movie theater marquee, which serves as ironic commentary on the scene. In this case, local and state authorities are damning nonviolent protestors who dared to defy racist laws. Davidson photographed the civil rights movement from 1961–1965, including in Birmingham, Alabama, where this photograph was taken.