Inspired by the powerful work of the photographers featured in This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement, we asked the community to share original photographs that touch on a topic related to freedom, equality or civil rights. We wanted to see issues such as online hate speech, challenges to voter rights and racial inequality through your eyes.
The images were judged by a panel of photography experts including civil rights photographer and This Light of Ours curator Matt Herron; Cuyahoga Community College Professor of Photography Daniel Levine and Arnold Tunstall, Myers School of Art Director of University Galleries at the University of Akron.
Join us in recognizing the talents and insights of our winners in the Adult (ages 18+) and Student (7th-12th grade) categories:
ADULT
1st Place
Daniel Zaas
“This was by far the most powerful image I captured during the Inauguration Day protests. The way the flags lined up perfectly reminds us how the LGBTQ+ and other minority communities are woven into the fabric of America. The next four years will be tough for these communities, but the Inauguration Day protests and the Women’s March the following day proved that regardless of the demagoguery that comes from this administration the marginalized will always be held up and protected by the truly patriotic, who believe that all men and women are created equally.”
2nd Place
Herbert Ascherman
“The Pond of Ashes, Auschwitz. A beautiful and sacred space, the pond’s waters are forever grey with the ashes of countless bodies whose souls still linger. One cannot but feel the incredible energy welling up from the ground.”
3rd Place
Katherine Forbes
“Reaction to the announcementthat the officers who fatally shot Henry Green, a young black man, in Columbus, Ohio, in the summer of 2015would not be indicted. Taken outside the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas on March 24, 2017. Dedicated to Adrienne Hood, mother of Henry Green.”
STUDENT
1st Place
Mary Farnan
Magnificat High School
“This image portrays how a person’s skin color does not define her. The girl . is pulling on her face to rid herself of the colors that distinguish a person. As humans, we are one people of various colors that represent our individuality; what truly defines us, however, is not our skin color but whether or not we choose to act as one family working together for a peaceful life.”
2nd Place
Luis Valentin
Facing History New Tech
“It is upsetting seeing this house every day in my neighborhood. I always feel bad for people who don’t have a home to live in because they don’t have a perfect job, who have so little money in their pocket that they have to stay in the street during a hot sunny day or a dark winter night. I want the city of Cleveland to destroy this abandoned house. and replace it with a small and simple house for homeless people to stay in to have a warm place.”
3rd Place
Shannon McIntyre
Magnificat High School
“This photo was inspired by distorted body images among teenage girls. The words in the mirror .represent what people say about others or what teenage girls in our society think about themselves. This image was meant to be a reminder that no matter what people say about us, those words do not define us. When we hear the discouraging words of others, or the voices in our heads, we have two choices: to grow from them or let them control us.”
3rd Place
Alexis Kuennen
Magnificat High School
“This image is meant to represent many religions coming together as one. Since persecution is seen as a social justice issue, this image shows that all religions can all come together as one and have peace. When all are at peace the world can have a stronger community.”
Honorable Mention
Reagan Hintz
Magnificat High School
“This photograph takes off from the classic ‘Vote’ photograph from the Civil Rights Movement and relates it to issues today. Today’s Black Lives Matter movement is a continuation of the civil rights movement, and everything that was fought for at that time is still being fought for today.”
Honorable Mention
Gabby Weist
Magnificat High School
“My photo focuses on the justice issue of bullying and how it can lead to depression. I am passionate about this issue because bullying is very common throughout schools and the world around us. In “Post-It Pain,” the words represent different names that the subject has been called in her lifetime. I decided to put the words on Post-It Notes because as time goes on they fall off and you start to become yourself again.”
–Courtney Krieger, Manager, Student Learning & Community Engagement
