Abstract

Racism remains a pervasive problem in society. Beyond iconic photographs that capture a distinct moment in history that prompt reflection on racism, art can be a powerful prompt to encourage society to reflect on this persistent difficult truth. Norman Rockwell and Samuel Bak reconfigured highly recognized photographs into portraits with the intention to explore questions about racism. The photographs and the art they inspired feature a single child in the midst of surrounding racism. Using a photograph of first-grader Ruby Bridges desegregating a previously all-White school in New Orleans in 1960, four years later Rockwell created “The Problem We All Live With,” showing a young girl subjected to racism as she walks to school. Flanked by four US marshals, she is protected from bodily harm, but Rockwell makes clear that she cannot escape racism. Bak’s inspiration was the 1943 photograph of “The Warsaw Ghetto Boy,” whose life is held in the balance by a Nazi soldier. Sixty years later, Bak’s “Icon of Loss” series, replete with fragmented landscapes, conveys the irreparable destruction inherent in racism. However, through the use of these images, Rockwell and Bak move audiences beyond the immediate consideration of racism, toward healing, and to future transformation.