The above photo that I chose to reflect on is titled “Segregated Water Fountains”. This photo is shocking as it shows how segregation was legal in the 20th century provided it was “equal” to both parties. As you can see from the photo, the “Colored” fountain looks like a subpar urinal compared to the “White” fountain, that looks l uxorious for that time period. How can one even say that those two are equal?
Both water fountains draw their water from the same valve, so the water would be the same for both fountains. The only thing that is segregated is the little nozzle that the water comes out of: one for whites and one for blacks.
In my opinion, this photo shows ignorance as I find it hard to understand why people would go to measures to segregate water fountains based on someone’s color. I also find it hard to understand how they can pass off those distinctly different water fountains as equal when obviously the only thing they have “equal” is the water valve that both the fountains draw their water from.
I ask myself, why? Why did people segregate based on skin color. Did they think that black people were diseased? The way our society is in the 21st century I could not even imagine this happening. We have so many laws in place regarding discrimination and racial profiling that in our era public segregation is nonexistent.
Looking at the young man in this picture, he doesn’t look sad or mad. He looks like he is just taking a sip of water out of his fountain without thinking twice. He didn’t know any different. The man in this picture doesn’t show any emotion that he knows how wrong this actually is. He doesn’t know…
The white water fountain in the picture reminds me of an old water fountain that might be found around NTC back in the day during it’s use as a Naval Training Center. I can hear the valves of the water fountain humming when the lever is pulled. I can taste the hard water that comes out of the fountain. Even though it tastes horrible, it is gold to those who thirst.
