TOW #7 - Visual Text "National Dialogue on Race"

    In the 21st century, the growing media presence has been one of the major factors in publicly bringing police brutality to attention. In particular, the issues between the white police officers and black victims have stirred an uneasy tension between the two groups. In cases such as the shooting of Michael Brown, the American media covered the riots and nearly every American was well aware of the existing conflict. Just in the past year, there have been numerous similar cases of police brutality against black individuals and groups. In a political cartoon by Jimmy Margulies, an award-winning editorial cartoonist for AM New York, it highlights the two contrasting views of the repeating issue of civil unrest by applying distinct color schematics as well as utilizing irony.
    When first viewing the cartoon, the readers immediately recognize the split color difference of the half black and half white background. The cartoon depicts the left side as the black community with an African-American person reading a newspaper while the right side portrays the white community with a white individual reading a similar newspaper. The background does not gradually transforms into the opposite color, rather there is a abrupt line that splits the African American and white. The sharp color distinction between the black and the white background exemplifies the great separation that exists between the two different races.
    Margulies also vividly reveals the contrasting viewpoints between the white and black community by depicting an ironic situation. Although both characters are reading an article on the same subject, the two have completely contrasting reason for questioning "Again?" While the man on the left only sees the white police officers brutally killing more black men, the man on the right only sees another uproar rising from the black community. Despite the different perspectives on the issue, both people state the same word to show the irony that exists between distinct races in the country. This ironic circumstance that is illustrated shows the lack of unity among the American population, especially in the case of police brutality.
    Through the ironic cartoon that is illustrated by sharp color distinctions, Jimmy Margulies  displays the conflicting views of the reiterating issue of police brutality in a humorous manner.

Link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/74379831322474463/