For this assignment, I was asked to reflect on an image that another student found thought-provoking and analyze what I think is important about this image, before and after reading the accompanying essay. I chose a photo set in Havana, Cuba, taken by my peer, Henry Leighton.
March 31, 2025
Henry’s photo of a billboard initially appeared to be a celebration of the agricultural sector and the working class. The imagery of farmers and schoolchildren suggested an effort to instill national pride in blue-collar workers and everyday people, potentially to promote the values of labor and farming. I was initially drawn to this idea because the message tried to foster a sense of unity and respect for the people who actually sustain the nation. The billboard has a similar sentiment that reminded me of my time spent in rural communities in Brazil, where farmers’ contributions are essential but often overlooked and undervalued.
To my surprise, the two main representatives displayed on the billboard were a Cuban president and a former leader. I was struck by the juxtaposition of the powerful political figures and the ordinary citizens because it suggested that the motive behind the sign is propaganda. Henry’s reflective analysis uncovered a much more intricate picture that I enjoyed reading the most. The billboard was positioned in an affluent neighborhood of Havana, meaning that the billboard was not necessarily a message for farmers but rather a reminder to the city’s wealthier residents and tourists to potentially cultivate empathy for the working citizens. Henry’s reflection highlighted socioeconomic disparities in Havana, where it seems tone-deaf to place a political image in such a wealthy neighborhood because of immense inequality. He illuminated how such messages that may appear to uplift rural communities could be more performative in nature and act as propaganda designed to reinforce loyalty to the state.
Henry’s reflection resonated deeply with my understanding of global systemic inequalities that shape contemporary Latin American societies. He effectively built upon my initial suspicion that it was political messages and that it could have been deployed to maintain internal power structures. In essence, they wanted to erase the realities of marginalized communities through a fictitious narrative. One reason this photo impacted me the most was because this dynamic mirrors the experiences I encountered while in Brazil. I would see that rural communities are often unsupported by the government and disregarded, and they still bear the burden of their nation’s food security and environmental degradation. The corruption of government is also in the hands of the elites and ruling class, so a billboard with any similar message is to just gather support for their political party.
The photo challenged me to think more critically about representation and intent. It is another representation of the dangers of a single story and I was struck by the absence of local voices in my interpretations of these images. . Through Henry’s lens, I was reminded that true global engagement needs observation and inquiry while actively listening to the stories that are embedded within the landscape and cultural symbols. In doing so, it creates a space for more inclusive, empathetic, and complex understandings of the world.
Photo Credit: Henry Leighton
