For All the Good They Do, Hine’s Photographs Were Narrow in Their Scope
Hine’s photographs are haunting. For every one of Hine’s photographs, there are thousands of stories that go untold, lost to history. Hine’s documentation focuses on immigrant and low-income populations, but there is a similar trait all share; they are all Caucasian. But child labor certainly didn’t limit itself to this demographic during Hine’s active photo documentation period. African American children, children of former slaves, were working in the same poor conditions, and some even worse.
In 1918, a labor study found African American children working jobs at shoeshine stands, “barkers” for businesses seeking to attract customers, delivery, and messenger services, in addition to working the same types of factory and agricultural jobs Hine’s photographs depict. Three-fourths of African American children had a job before age ten, compared to three-fifths of white children. Child labor knew no ethnic boundaries but had one thing in common; it disproportionally impacted low-income families.
