Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School: Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Negro: Development of Social Standards Among the Negroes. Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va.: History Class at Fortress Monroe. 1899 - 1900

Curator: This photograph by Frances Benjamin Johnston depicts a history class at Fortress Monroe, part of the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. Editor: The imposing cannons create a striking visual contrast with the fashionably dressed figures gathered around them. It feels almost surreal. Curator: Indeed. Johnston was commissioned to document the Hampton Institute, and images like this speak to the complex project of assimilation and education in the post-Reconstruction South. It’s about power structures, literally and figuratively. Editor: Absolutely. The photo encapsulates a pivotal moment of negotiating Black identity and agency within institutional frameworks—a theme ripe for feminist and critical race theory exploration. Curator: It highlights the Institute’s role, not just in education, but in shaping a new social order, a visual representation of the politics of progress. Editor: A stark reminder that progress is never neutral, and the politics of imagery always matter. Curator: Exactly. Editor: A poignant image, prompting deeper reflections.