The worst thing is to feel that as a photographer I am benefiting from someone else’s tragedy. This idea haunts me. It’s something I have to reckon with every day because I know that if I ever allowed genuine compassion to be overtaken by personal ambition, I will have sold my soul. The only way I can justify my role is to have respect for the other person’s predicament. The extent to which I do that is the extent to which I become accepted by the other; and to that extent, I can accept myself.

- James Nachtwey | War Photographer (via timelightbox)

Who’ll Pay Reparations On My Soul?

Many suggestions
And documents written.
Many directions
For the end that was given.
They gave us
Pieces of silver and pieces of gold.
Tell me,
Who’ll pay reparations on my soul?

- Gil Scott-Heron

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“who’ll pay reparations on my soul?”

Gil Scott-Heron

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