Part One

Think about all the photographs around you right now—in your phone, on your social media; those kept on desks, shelves, or hung on walls; those kept out of plain view in photo albums, scrapbooks, and old boxes.

Each of these photographs tells a story—some forms of social media, for example, allow us to tell an even larger, more complex “story” by organizing our personal images and videos. Furthermore, the visuals we select and how we organize those visuals impacts how others might “read” or understand our stories. What happens, though, if we were to select and organize visuals to tell someone else’s story?

The creators—everyone involved in the production of the Salt of the Earth film—played a role in telling the story of the Empire Zinc Mine Strike. Many celebrated the way the creators told the story; however, others were strongly opposed to how they told the story. Ultimately, it is important to recognize how much our personal perspective(s) shape(s) how a story is told.

Engage others in a conversation on the following questions: What are some examples throughout history when peoples’ stories were told by others? What events or perspectives were privileged in these stories? What was omitted? In general, what might people gain from someone else telling their story? What might people lose?

Part Two

In 2018, the Salt of the Earth Recovery Project Coordinators gathered various visual artifacts from their time working in Silver City and Bayard, New Mexico. You can view these visuals here.

Look closely at each photo. Based on your knowledge/understanding on The Empire Zinc Mine Strike or the Salt of the Earth film based on the strike, what story do you think this collection of photos tells about the strike and/or film?

Notice how each photo complements the one adjacent, above, or below it. Do you notice a clear organizational pattern? How would you organize them differently? How might organizing them differently alter yours or others understanding of the strike/film? Can you think of additional photos that would strengthen yours or others understanding of the strike or film?

Think of a story—about you, someone you know, or your culture—that you feel is important/would be interesting for others to learn about. Consider how you might tell this story visually: using photos or videos.

You could take several photos/videos, for example, and organize them into the story you want to tell. Or, you could browse and select several photos/videos you already have (or mix and match).

Once you feel your project is complete, share with others, and consider submitting your visual story for publication.