In The Oprah Magazine‘s May issue, one of the magazine’s big themes was race, marked by a section titled “Let’s Talk about Race,” which included articles written by a range of contributors. Included within the articles were three images that didn’t include a description, but were visually compelling because they challenged how many of us imagine race as it relates to roles in America.
Shot by Chris Buck, one shows a nail salon where the staff applying pedicures is white and the happy, relaxed customers are of Asian origin. In a second image, a white girl is confronted by a wall of dolls, all of which are black, and in the third, a woman of color with a cell phone at her ear and a Yorkie in her lap is waited on by a white woman.
The salon and maid image make us question who is in a position of servitude and why, while the image of the young girl is arresting because it forces people to think about the impact of growing up in a world that erases your existence.
Check them out below.