Social Settlements: United States. Alabama. Calhoun. "Calhoun Colored School": Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Negro. Calhoun Colored School, Calhoun, Ala.: Public School House. 1901

Editor: This photograph, attributed to Frances Benjamin Johnston, is titled "Calhoun Colored School." The bareness of the room is striking. What kind of symbolism do you see at play here? Curator: The light piercing through the cracks speaks volumes. Does it evoke ideas of hope, or perhaps the harsh realities of limited resources? Light often symbolizes knowledge or divine presence, but its fragmented nature here raises complex questions. Editor: So the light isn't just light, it's a loaded symbol. Curator: Precisely. Consider the cultural memory embedded in the image. Schools have historically represented both opportunity and forced assimilation. How do you think the photographer navigates that duality? Editor: I hadn't thought about assimilation, but it makes sense given the title. It's a lot to unpack! Curator: Indeed. The photograph serves as a potent reminder of the layered meanings images carry.