"I am Somebody": Jesse Jackson Speaks in Harlem

The sun was setting and the light was right in Jesse's face, so there wasn't much to be done about the hot spots. But the shot did manage to capture the high emotions of this historic moment.

Caption: Jesse Jackson, running for the Democratic Party nomination for president, electrifies a Harlem crowd with his classic speech opening, "Now repeat after me . . . I am (crowd repeats "I am") . . . somebody (crown repeats "somebody"). This is repeated rythmically and the crowd gets louder and louder. To Jesse's right are Barry Commoner (his VP) and the now NY State Controller Carl McCall.

I think the setting sun adds a more dramatic effect to the photo. The contrast on the three faces makes them a lot more expressive, and Jesse's position, with his arm extended and hand grasping is just perfect. Nice timing!