I think that the most positive thing that can be said about this is that it appears that none of the students involved in preparing the yearbook (including the subjects of the photo) even thought once about lynchings. I think that shows progress in race relations.
EDIT: I just read the linked article, which says the same thing.
Quote:
Perhaps least upset by the photo is Richards, 19, who is bound for Florida Atlantic University after graduation next week. In fact, he came up with the idea.
Richards said he and Finley thought it would set them apart from the other superlative students striking traditional poses. They have broken up since the photo was taken, he said, but remain close friends and have the same opinion of the photo.
"We don't see a problem with it," Richards said before referencing the Roots character that haunted his mother when she saw the photo. "Kunta Kinte — that was over 300 years ago."
He also believes his mother and those who might share her anxiety think differently about racism and slavery because of their age. He and his peers aren't as conscious of race, he said.
"If there was a black girl doing this in the picture, it wouldn't be an issue," Richards said.
A number of black students were standing around when the photo was taken and nobody protested, he said. "These are people who if they had a problem would have let us know," he said.
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