Sara Sheltz
Malcolm Browne, "The Burning Monk"
1963, black and white film
This photo portrays a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk in Saigon in 1963 burning himself alive. The monk was protesting the persecution and oppression of the Buddhist religion in Vietnam. The photographer, Malcolm Browne, drew international attention with this photo and even won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. The photo was so revealing that U.S. President John F. Kennedy was persuaded to withdraw support from the Vietnamese government. Kennedy stated that "No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world." I chose this photo as one of my favorites because the story is a perfect example of how influential photography can be. Without the invention of photography, no one around the world would be able to actually see what was going on outside of their community. When people see a photo as powerful as this, they start to fight for what is just and right, like Kennedy did when withdrawing support from the Vietnamese government.
