My first Press assignment-KKK

elsaspet

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I was recently hired by a Freelance PJ outfit. I know that I'm barely in touch with photojournalism, but the lady liked my people pictures and thought there was potential there....albiet roughly! :lmao: Anyhoo, my first assignment was to cover a KKK protest in Tomball, TX near Houston. Athough my press badge gave me great access to just about everything, the one place media was not allowed to go was near the KKK exhibit held in the town's community center. (Although I did pull off a few with a telephoto).
The day was crazy hot, and I'm sunburned as all get out, but I can tell you that I had a total blast.
The protesters were to be stationed in a parking lot cattycorner to where the clansmen were, but the clansmen were taunting the protesters by coming out on a patio in their robes and soldiers outfits and things quickly began to get out of hand. One group of the protesters were very peaceful. Two other groups, The New Black Panthers, and the Anti Racist Action group actually wanted to stop the exhibit and clashed with police by marching out of the protest area and trying to storm the exhib area.
Photos follow. Sorry for the number of them, but I think they tell the story.
1.
KKK20web.jpg

2.
KKK19web.jpg

3.
KKK18web.jpg

4.
KKK17web.jpg

5.
KKK16web.jpg

6.
KKK15web.jpg

7.
KKK14web.jpg

8.
KKK13web.jpg

9.
KKK12web.jpg

10.
KKK11web.jpg
 
Wow is all I have to say. These pictures are phenominal. I can't believe the amount of emotion and anger you have captured. Simply stunning.
 
Stunning series. I think that you've found your niche!
 
that's crazy. i live in tomball (practically). I knew there was some KKK thing...i heard something about it. but i didnt know about a protest. what was it all about?

nice pics by the way! great job, especially with your first assignment. what newspaper was this for? I might get it. That would be neat, i'd actually know who the photographer was :D

number 13 is very emotional. both with the guy and the cops, but then that girl right there in the middle of it, just standing there. wonderful capture.
 
thebeginning said:
that's crazy. i live in tomball (practically). I knew there was some KKK thing...i heard something about it. but i didnt know about a protest. what was it all about?

nice pics by the way! great job, especially with your first assignment. what newspaper was this for? I might get it. That would be neat, i'd actually know who the photographer was :D

number 13 is very emotional. both with the guy and the cops, but then that girl right there in the middle of it, just standing there. wonderful capture.

Oh, I wish you could have made it! I would have loved to have met you. My agency is submitting to SIPA and ZUMA. I don't know if anyone will even buy the photos, so they may only appear on a few places on the web.:lmao:
Yeah, it was wild. The photo you refer to, number 13, is also a favorite of mine, because I felt so badly for that little girl. The man she is with is a Klan sympathizer who had approached to protest area to taunt the protesters. He and the girl were fortunate that that the Police stepped in quickly as protesters from the New Black Panters and Anti Racism Action jumped the barracade and had come after them. The poor little girl was terrified. (I had more emotional shots of that, but I was running with the camera trying to get to the area, and the others were just too blurry.
 
they are all awesome shots, personally i would have converted them to black and white, not only because the obvious "black vs white" theme but also for the aesthetic connotations associated with b+w images...
good job
roon
 
deadjoe said:
they are all awesome shots, personally i would have converted them to black and white, not only because the obvious "black vs white" theme but also for the aesthetic connotations associated with b+w images...
good job
roon

Hi Joe, thanks. I'm not sure about it being a black and white issue, but more of an issue of acceptance in a diverse world.
 
well, you know what i mean :)
it is truly incredible that an "organisation" such as the kkk still (or ever) exists! but as you say we live in a diverse world and as sad as it is the kkk do have the right to do what they do regardless of how horrible it is!
in the uk i find myself surrounded by casual rascism (ignorance) but i am not too sure about whether the kkk is really about in the uk, we certainly still have the few odd skinheads scattered about the place though...
roon
 
deadjoe said:
well, you know what i mean :)
it is truly incredible that an "organisation" such as the kkk still (or ever) exists! but as you say we live in a diverse world and as sad as it is the kkk do have the right to do what they do regardless of how horrible it is!
in the uk i find myself surrounded by casual rascism (ignorance) but i am not too sure about whether the kkk is really about in the uk, we certainly still have the few odd skinheads scattered about the place though...
roon

Here in America, it's definately out there...here is a link:

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp

The only states in the U.S. without any recorded hate groups are North Dakota, Hawaii, and New Mexico.
 
core_17 said:
Here in America, it's definately out there...here is a link:

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp

The only states in the U.S. without any recorded hate groups are North Dakota, Hawaii, and New Mexico.

wow, i was surprised by the number in my state (PA). 32!

edit: once i clicked on the state i realized that a whole crap load are right in my area :confused: ...makes me sick
 
very sadly, human nature has a hate element., some of us dwell on it, and look for things to hate, usually as a result of fear, and insecurity. It sickens me to know end, and sadly, the vast majority of us as humans cannot change what nature, and brainwashing has given those pathetic souls.

Great shot's .. awesome job and wow, it must have been exciting!

hehehe, I guess if we hate those people, we are in their circle!~

Emotional confrontation usually doesn't solve anything
 

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