Photos That Changed the World

Twice in the past month we looked at powerful photographs in class. Many of the images were gut-wrenching, while at the same time being thought-provoking, strangely beautiful, and moving. There is the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words and that is just the point: a thousand words can express and elicit an array of emotions, oftentimes contradictory, and that is exactly what great photography can do.

Those classes led me to think of other photos that are particularly poignant and relevant to any social worker who wants to galvanize public opinion or present a call to action. Here are is one that we didn't discuss:



Any time I think of powerful photos, this one comes immediately to mind. This depiction of Every Man, looking like he had just ended his lunch break and wandered before the lens of the World, standing, impassive, before overwhelming military might, is both striking and stirring. In its stillness it is a more powerful call to action than any agitated resistance or amplified speech.