‘Against All Prejudices’ Photo: Just Your Average Stereotypes?

Actually, I think you may be reading too much into this.

My mother visibly drew back when she met my daughter’s pre-school Montessori teacher, who wore multiple piercings, tattoos and a shaved head. She looked at me questioningly, but I told her that I was happy that my kid was learning to look beyond stereotypes to see the person.

That skinhead, tattooed, pierced teacher was one of the best teachers I have ever met and instilled a curiosity and love of learning in my kid that is still there, 10 years later. But if I had had the same reaction as my mom when I toured the school, I would have deprived my kid of that experience.

I see this photo in the same way.

Maybe it’s about the kid’s lack of prejudice against sharp spikes? The photo is a cliche, no question there. But I think it’s an overblown title it’s been given. We all have our own prejudices I suppose; I actually am prejudiced against photos like this. Why was it taken? Was it because it’s a funny, friendly scene with a kid and a ‘punk’ (I use the quotes because to call him a ‘punk’ might be a sign of a prejudice I don’t have agains people who dress like that and have hairstyles I won’t name for fear of more stereotyping) meeting? Or was it taken as a demonstration of how people can act against prejudices and do their own thing regardless? If it’s the latter, then it’s a cliche that simply serves to remind us that there are prejudices most of us wouldn’t think about. Therefore it’s a silly exercise. If, however, it is the first, ie a friendly shot of two people meeting on the street, then it’s I guess okay. But as I said, I don’t like it: it’s cliched, probably staged and who cares?

I really love the photo.It means something to me.

Prejudice forms in the eye of the beholder in some ways. I see a kid interacting in a friendly, non-threatening way with an older guy who might be scary-looking to a child. The fact that the child is black and the older guy is white might play into it a bit for me, but not as much. I guess I recognize prejudice in myself regarding the guy with the mohawk and in assuming the child would be afraid of him as I might be.

I have spent my entire life with friends who don’t fit the mold. From punks to grunge, we always come off as outcasts. These perceptions have always been due to our style of dress, our choice in piercings, our vibrant tattoos, and whatever hairstyle (and color) we felt like sporting. In my life, a child has never reacted to us the way this child is reacting to this punk.

“Against All Prejudices” fits this picture amazingly well. The kid isn’t focused on how different this punk is, he just wants to touch his curiously studded jacket. The innocence and simplicity of the child’s action speaks volumes of the types of relationships WE could have if only we didn’t focus on those things that make us different.

It’s interesting, when I first saw this picture I noticed the subculture, age and sexual orientation references, but completely missed the racial issue. This may or may not show something about my own prejudices…

I happenened to come across this because of research for a college paper I am writing and thought it to be intresting. I enjoy the photo and I agree with one of the comments left earilier, let people become there own person and stop judging. The person judging is the plain Jane seen everday; be different and bright be yourself.