civilrights

Powerful Images of the 1960s by Benedict Fernandez Revealed in Bronx Exhibit

Puerto Rican and Italian photographer Benedict Fernandez' images from the 1960s are incredible... but you've probably never seen them before. Until recently, many of his powerful photographs remained tucked away in his archive.

Fortunately, that is all changing this month thanks to an exhibition at the Bronx Documentary Center.

Man Points Smartphone Camera at Cop, Gets Arrested for Brandishing “Weapon”

The San Diego Police Department is in hot water with photographers and First Amendment rights advocates everywhere this week over the way two of their officers handled a situation this last Saturday.

The story and the video that goes with it -- which went viral after being shared by the website Photography is Not a Crime -- shows one of the officers violently arresting a man for exercising his right to record the officer during the course of his duties.

The ACLU’s New Police Tape App Lets You Discreetly Record Police Interactions

There are plenty of stories out there of photographers allegedly being mistreated at the hands of the police; unfortunately, this mistreatment often includes the destruction of any evidence of the altercation. But the New Jersey ACLU is hoping that their new Police Tape app helps people more discretely record these interactions for future use in court.

US Department of Justice Defends Photographers’ Right to Record Police

Earlier we reported on two separate cases where video evidence of police shot by random citizens wound up being crucial in the exoneration of photographers arrested while doing their job. Well, appropriately enough, the US Department of Justice just recently came out in defense of the right to record police while they are on duty.

Iconic Civil Rights Photographer Exposed as FBI Informant

Some of the most raw, intimate and iconic photographs of the Civil Rights Movement were taken by photojournalist Ernest C. Withers. He was present during the entire Emmett Till trial, when Martin Luther King, Jr. rode the first desegregated bus, and in the hotel room where Dr. King was assassinated. Many civil rights activists would cite Withers' images as key to informing America of their plight and fight for equality.

But recent reports by Memphis publication The Commercial Appeal indicate that Withers, who passed away in 2007, was also informing the FBI -- on their payroll.

The Commercial Appeal posted documents indicating that while Withers was photographing key members of the movement, he was also acting eyes and ears for a now inoperative wing of the FBI that heavily tracked civil rights activists.

Due to a clerical error revealing Withers' informant number, reporters at The Commercial Appeal were able to connect Withers' name to informant activities.