An activist and humanist, Schwartz has been recognized worldwide for his astonishing ability to capture interracial harmony and humanity. He illustrated the truth through his photography, letting his camera speak for him to show the social and economic injustice of the times. His life’s work depicted the condition of the poor and downtrodden, his focus always on the substance and value of individuals - a message of hope rather than despair.

Joe Schwartz (1913-2013) was a member of the Photo League, along with Eugene Smith and Dorothea Lange, with whom he shared a commitment to portraying the lives of America’s working people in their urban environment. His photos are exhibited and archived at the Smithsonian Museum of African American History, along with his interview for the their Art’s Oral History of American Photographers. His work is held at The Getty, among other institutions