 Hickman was assigned to photograph a mock lynching at the school in which Hickman documented the poor state of the segregated schools, when he was pursued by individuals involved in the lynching and had to flee the scene.The pursuit continued from Mansfield until Hickman reached Fort Worth.Pursuits and acts of violence such as this became commonplace for photographers and photojournalists during the Civil Rights Movement, with Hickman, along with others such as Charles Moore and Flip Schulke, experiencing backlash whilst attempting to document events.