Summary

A photograph capturing a Black child's intense side-eye directed at a white woman holding a Black Lives Matter sign at a Trump rally in 2016 serves as a powerful commentary on racism, performative activism, and the wisdom of youth in the context of civil rights struggles.

Abstract

The image, taken by Johnny Silvercloud on March 20, 2016, outside a Donald Trump campaign rally in Tucson, Arizona, encapsulates the tension and complexity of racial dynamics during a period of heightened civil rights activism. The child's side-eye, unnoticed by the photographer until post-processing, is described as an "intellectual nuclear weapon" due to its profound ability to convey skepticism towards performative activism. The photograph gains additional significance when juxtaposed with historical images of protests, emphasizing the enduring nature of the struggle for racial equality. The child's gaze, while not the intended focus of the photo, adds a layer of context that questions the authenticity of the woman's activism and highlights the premature loss of innocence experienced by Black children who must navigate the realities of racism from a young age.

Opinions

The photographer believes that the child's side-eye is a spontaneous and genuine reaction to the perceived insincerity of the white woman's activism.
The side-eye is seen as a potent symbol of the child's awareness and understanding of racism and performative activism, despite his young age.
The image is thought to communicate across space and time, similar to historical protest photographs, by directly conveying the subjects' messages and emotions.
The child's wisdom and the tragic necessity for Black children to recognize racism early on in life are emphasized.
The photographer did not interfere with the scene to maintain its authenticity, reflecting a commitment to capturing genuine moments without influence.
The side-eye is likened to precise and powerful weaponry, underscoring its impact and the depth of the child's insight into the situation.
The woman's intentions, while potentially genuine, are considered secondary to the unintended narrative introduced by the child's expression.
The boy's side-eye is seen as a critique of performative activism, suggesting that his presence in the photograph "stole the show" from the intended subject.

The heat of this side-eye is profound. | 20 Mar 2016 | Photography Credit: Johnny Silvercloud

The “Black Kid Side-Eye” is an Intellectual Nuclear Weapon

The power of a Black child’s side-eye in an age of Civil Rights Struggle

It was the 20th of March, 2016. Donald Trump was running for president, and his campaign lead him to Tucson, Arizona. I was in the Army at the time, which made attending rallies and protests difficult. Still, I found a way to observe this event.

I have other stories concerning the Trump rally in Tucson, which have been documented. While I can speak measures on the Trump support, such as the fights inside the rally that Trump’s rhetoric provoked, I want to highlight a gem of a photo I’ve taken outside the campaign rally.

I often take photos of people holding whatever signs they brought to a rally of protest. It makes sense to do this because if a person took the time to paint, draw, or print out a giant sign, why not document it? As a photographer, I take a photo that literally tells people what the photo’s subject wants to communicate to others. This is important, especially when you factor in what does this communicates across time; similar to what this photo does:

National Guard troops lined Beale Street during a protest. | 29 March 1968 | Photo Credit: Otto Bettman

These photos speak to us across space and time. Everyone in the photo is telling us something across time and space, and the protest signs make their message more direct. The message of the protester or rally is largely removed from ambiguity, and that matters.

“Fuck Racial Profiling.” Even when the sign is small, it adds context to the photograph. | 9 Nov 2015 | Photography Credit: Johnny Silvercloud

So yes, I often seek to capture folk’s protest/rally signs, up and to and including asking, “Hey, can I get your sign?” In most cases, I do not even have to do that; I can shot the scene naturally, hunting down protester signs as if an outdoor-woodland hunter stalks a deer.

Sometimes when you have a subject in mind, what’s going on in the background is actually a lot more interesting. That’s exactly what happened when this young Black child walked into the frame and gave this white woman the most death-beam side-eye I’ve ever captured in a photograph.

Now is the time to talk about this epic side-eye

Years ago, I was just taking photographs and posting them on Flickr. Now since I’m back writing, I want to take this opportunity to share this scene with the world and discuss.

This child’s side-eye is epic. It’s not like I coached this kid to walk into the scene at the right time; this happened spontaneously. And I didn’t even notice until I got home to post-process the photo set.

For many who reference “The Ancestors” regarding Black spirituality, I imagine they would have a profound argument that the Spirit of the Ancestors was strong in this boy’s orbital bones.

This Black kid’s side-eye packed heat like Vick’s Vapor Rub.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency — also known as DARPA — would be inspired to build better laser-guided precision munitions for the U.S. Armed Forces and CIA had they saw the piercing accuracy and brute force of this black kid’s side-eye.

This Black kid’s side-eye is a drone strike, devoid of collateral damage.

Apache Hellfire missiles would be jealous had they had feelings. Depleted Uranium shells from an M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank has nothing on this Black kid’s side-eye.

This kid shouldn’t have the wisdom to grasp the fact that this adult white woman might be showing up with a Black Lives Matter sign just to pat herself on the back. But he does.

The thing that makes this Black kid’s side-eye so potent is that at his young age, probably 10–12 years old, he already knows what racism is and how it works. He, seemingly, already knows how white people tend to demand Black spaces. More importantly, he already knows what performative activism is.

While I’m taking the photo, I don’t say anything so as to not allow my own opinions and assessment to interfere with the scene. In understanding performative versus reparative activism, I simply don’t say anything at the time. Home-girl would have been naturally upset if I start berating her on performative activism, and it would ruin the photo and ruin the photographer. So I stay silent in my knowledge of such things.

However, this Black kid seems to know everything I know in the scene and delivered what I call “added context” to the scene. He, as a subject, isn’t even in focus. But that doesn’t remove the fact that his side-eye has a focus. Yikes.

I believe there’s a universal measure of innocence a child is supposed to have.

When there’s a pinch of wisdom that breaks that presumed-innocence, the effect categorically jarring. Had he been an adult doing the same side-eye, it wouldn’t have the same effect (albeit still powerful). This kid shouldn’t have the wisdom to grasp the fact that this adult white woman might be showing up with a Black Lives Matter sign just to pat herself on the back. But he does.

The fact that the white woman in the photo might actually have the best intentions is irrelevant. She had her story; she’s the intended subject of the photo documentation. I want to highlight the unintended subject of the photo; the child’s side-eye. His presence adds a context beyond what I, the woman, or the boy have even intended. The fact that this boy knows the notion of performative activism is telling, and it’s a great idea to peel back the layers of context he introduced into the scene. As far as I’m concerned, the boy stole the show.

It’s actually tragic that a child has to understand racism at an early age to survive America. Because of this tragedy, the side-eye from this Black kid concerning the possibility of performative activism has the heat of a nuclear weapon. There are times when children — young folk who aren’t trained in interrogation techniques or social psychology — are just near-perfect bullshit sensors.

This scene is one of those times.

The breach of innocence is the reason why the Black kid’s side-eye is the most potent.

I wish I noticed this when I shot it and was able to ask that kid some questions. Clearly, he in this photo was smarter than me when I was his age. Or maybe it’s the times we live in that demand Black children to be more sociologically intelligent.

Currently, I don’t have answers, but one thing I can answer is if this kid’s side-eye was packing heat. That answer is yes.