(Part 2 of 2)
The other question is about the role of race. Every one of the photographers appears to be white, including Nathan Weber (I googled him and think I found the right guy). Also, they all seem to be men. Are these white men really the best equipped to tell this story? It feels very suspect to me. I’m not a specialist in Haitian history but I do know it is complex and rife with upheavals. What does Nathan Weber want his picture to do? Are we supposed to want to help the people of Haiti? Are we supposed to look at it and feel revulsion for an industry that traffics in the suffering of others? Where is Fabienne’s story in all of this and does she just become a convenient prop?
I don’t have the answers to these questions but I do know this image makes me uncomfortable. Ideally it has provoked meaningful action that improves real people’s lives. Unfortunately, I think that is something nearly impossible to quantify.
