African Girl Observation

Observation:

The photo I chose shows four beautiful women sitting on a set of steps. Two of the women are sitting side by side facing east, two are facing west. Three of the women in the photo are sitting with their face in hand while the one woman hands are gracefully folded on her lap. The two women on the left seem to be looking into the camera, the third woman from the left seem to be looking to the far right. The last women appear to be looking slightly to the left toward the camera. They are beautifully dressed in long skirts; hair is pulled back in what appear to be a pony tail covered with hats. The hats have bans around them. Two are plain, one is plaid, and the other hat has a laced ban with a bow. All four women are of African

American decent. Each one of the women is wearing a dress blouse. All four women are wearing a white blouse with different designs. One blouse has strips, another one has lace ruffles down the front of the blouse, one has lace ruffle down the middle of the blouse, and the last blouse is designed with pleats to the right of the blouse. They all are wearing some sort of hard bottom shoes. The steps are made of cement between stone walls. The steps meet a brick wall at the top.
Knowledge:
The description of the photo tells the viewers that the four women are student at Atlanta University, Georgia in 1890 – 1900. I have learned over time that Atlanta housed enslaved Blacks and Free Blacks whereas higher education in those times were granted to a selected few of African American men and women. I am also aware of segregation in the south. I remember being in academic discussions about Atlanta and the Black residents being forced to reside in areas prone to floods. In other words, the less desired areas were designated for Black families.
During the 1800 – 1900 when the selected photo was taken, higher education for Blacks was higher in Atlanta than any other southern state. Black colleges emerged during those times. Racism was rampant during those times, but activists and some Whites contributed to the revolution of the state of Atlanta giving Blacks the opportunity to enroll in colleges. It appear to be a time when people really did not have a choice to do much, but enroll in school for any prospect of securing a future for themselves and their family. I know that many Blacks were not allowed to teach themselves without backlash from their masters during the ci