I am writing this essay to educate and spark discussion on the use of gender roles in art with respect to the Black Lives Matter movement and the photo of Ieshia Evans. Anyone who is interested in the gender art roles or the Black Lives Matter movement may find this interesting. People who have an interest in modern photographic art, Race relation or gender roles in art may find this impactful in their studies. The reader most likely will already have some basic information on the Black Lives matter movement and also some knowledge of John Berger’s ways of seeing. A hook as an introductory sentence will be crucial to keep the reader’s interest. A hook that describes the violence involved in Alton Sterling’s death would be appropriate. Because this is a college level essay, I will use language appropriate for academic study. This paper will feature a solemn tone. This is a serious subject that deserves to be discussed with the gravity it encompasses.  

On July 9th 2016, in Baton Rouge, two white police officers were caught on video camera shooting and killing Alton Sterling. A young New York nurse, Ieshia Evans, who traveled to Louisiana to protest this injustice, stepped ahead of the crowd and made her stand. She was photographed at the perfect moment, and that moment was eternally frozen in time. John Berger in Ways of Seeing discusses gender roles in western art. He maintains that a woman’s passivity in art is a result of western culture’s view of women as objects to be observed for their frail beauty. While images of women in art throughout western history have shown them in a passive role, this image shows a woman in a position of power resisting the male police officers effortlessly.