
At first glance, people perceive this image as white versus blacks. They see just a young colored girl walking between four white men who are walking with intent. Many people would scoff and shrug saying, “We passed those times, not my problem.” The intricate artwork is harder to see unless you truly tune in to each mark with the paintbrush, the artist made small intricate movements with his hand in constructing this piece that the eye could not grasp each singular detail unless they take a step back and let it glaze over the artistry. We are shown a display of times where integrating schools into being colored was a new concept. Now, if you were only shown the image you would be left to guess and most people could accurately guess what was depicted in this piece. However, if you dive deeper into the rich history you will see the date in which this piece was made, the history of the artist Norman Rockwell and could even find his inspirations. Yet, for the sake of originality when it comes to displaying my thoughts on the artwork than I will spare the long research and jump in from the base image that is shown above.

A young colored girl is walking, with strides that do not fall even a half a foot apart. Her stride displays caution, yet confidence. She tilts her head high, with a chin so strongly pointed in front of her that her determination is with ease. The young girl has a tightened grip on her books and her ruler, as if she is holding on to them with her life. Metaphorically speaking, her clutches on the books in the message I take away from this painting. Since schools we predominantly Caucasian, African-Americans always had less education background in the American than those who were white. Her grip is not her fearing what is to come but more so her holding on to an education she longs. Something that she has never had, something that many blacks of the period did not have. This display not only shows courage, but it shows her reasoning. Education is something that is the foundation to human life and human evolution, when you strip someone from their intelligence and their learning, everything in their life could fall apart because they no longer place meaning behind things. Therefore, he grips on knowledge is what fuels each step closer to the school or wherever it be that she is headed. The young girl is dressed up for her first day of school, not to display that she belongs but more so to show that she values education. By her taking time to put on something that is nice, she shows that she would also go through the process of working hard for an education. 

The four men walking around her are show with armbands that read, “Deputy U.S. Marshall.” The four horsemen of the apocalypse, walking towards what seems to be the end of the world for many people. A ‘colored’ child going to school with white children? Parents during this period would gasp in disbelief, saying what has this world come too? Yet you and I know this is wrong, why is it that their perceptions were so contorted? Coming from a background where slavery was still present not even one hundred years ago but then fueled with prejudice and discrimination, their views fit on par with how they should. Yet many people knew what was right and what was not, they still chose the latter. These four men walk with purpose, to protect the future. The young girl, that is the future to come. They formed around her a barricade and walk promptly in a manner that displays their demeanor. 

The wall in the background also has a pivotal role in the painting. The crack in the wall is prominent and shows a division between two sides, like the division between whites and blacks. The word ‘NIGGER’ is blatantly vandalized in the wall in large text. This word has a negative meaning, but without education or knowledge, this word, like every other word, would have no meaning. The people who use it are the one who conveys its disgust. This word is usually meant to degrade the person it is directed as, conveying that the person is below them and is useless. The term was coined during the slavery period in America. Two other prominent parts of the background are shown, the word “KKK” is vandalized on the background as well. The KKK was founded as a hate organization directed mainly towards ‘blacks’ during the time but grew full scale into an organization that hates all races that are not white people which is usually displayed by their “White Power” chant. The KKK’s influence during this time was the height of their history, this piece shows they fueled their hate against blacks for coming to a white person’s school. The tomato splattered against the wall shows that it was thrown at the girl, with meaning to strike her and dim her spirit. However, they missed yet they conveyed their meaning behind throwing the tomato. 

In conclusion, the picture shows that hate is in this period was the most prevalent thing going on. Yet the young girl is determined to build a future for herself, she plans on entering the school whether she feels invited. This displays her courage, which wraps around to the title “The problem we all live with” and every day we are all faced with the confliction of if we will display courage against all odds and do the right thing instead of the easy thing. 
