Races, Negroes: United States. Virginia. Hampton. Hampton Normal and Industrial School: Agencies Promoting Assimilation of the Negro. Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, Hampton, Va.: A Graduate's Table. 1899 - 1900

Editor: This photograph, by Frances Benjamin Johnston, is titled *A Graduate’s Table*. It depicts an African American family at dinner and feels very posed. What do you make of this image? Curator: It’s fascinating how Johnston uses domesticity here, isn't it? The dining table, draped in white, becomes almost an altar, a symbolic space. The family seems…arranged, yes, but consider it as a visual argument for respectability and progress during a time of immense racial prejudice. Do you feel that comes across? Editor: I see that, but it also feels…staged. Like they’re performing. Curator: Perhaps. But performance, especially in photography, can be a powerful tool for self-definition. Think about what that meant for African Americans at the turn of the century. The subtleties here are really quite remarkable. Editor: That’s a helpful point. I hadn't considered the element of self-definition, but that recontextualizes the image for me. Curator: Exactly! And isn't it wonderful when art challenges us to shift our perspective?