Thread by @DelSchilling

Thread:

Something that always stuck with me:

Frederick Douglass Was one of the Most Photographed Person in his time.

The Cost of having Your Portrait Taken was Extremely Expensive.

Frederick Douglass Talked a Great Deal about that & the "Why" of it.

He Spoke of the Reality of Who Controls the "Image" of a People.

He Hired Black Photographers and Staged His Own Portraits.

Sadly, People Saw this and Many Still see this as Vanity - When it was Nothing of the Sort.

At The Time, You Could go to a Local Store and Buy Pictures of what was described as "Black Life".

And yet, Who was controlling that image?

Douglass Spoke Openly about the way These Pictures Influenced the Way People Saw Him and Black People in General INCLUDING Black People.

That Really Stuck With me.

I think of it Often.

He is 1000% Right.

This is Why I and So Many Others Push and Fight To Change The Image of Native People Being Controlled by Non-Natives.

As Native People, Who Controls that Image?

Who Controls YOUR Image?

Who Controls That Narrative?

Who Tells That Story?

Who Tells YOUR Story?

This is Why I go after Images that are Destructive.

This is Why I won't "Just Let It Go" When I see a Hipster in a Headdress.

It's Because, It is about WAY More than That.

This is a Battle to be Seen as One Actually is, NOT The Way Oppressors Want And NEED you to be seen.

These Images Can also Affect the Way Native People, Native Children Can See themselves.

People Will Minimise the Importance of this and Can Be Really Convincing.

Just Remember, The Things that Seem to Be the "Smallest" in Life Can Have the Biggest Impact.

Always Wonder and Research, Who Controls an Image?

Your Image Is Yours.
Your Story Is Yours.
That Said, Who Controls Your Image?

Because it Matters.