
Photographs say more than one might think.  Take a look at any newspaper article, often the text of the article is not as important as the photograph that accompanies the article. That photograph will decide whether a person wants to read the article or not. Photographs often tell a story without using words. There are multiple elements, like the background, foreground, facial expressions, and gaze, that lead viewers to the overall theme of the photograph.  Recently, there have been heaps of photographs depicting the racial tensions going on in many places between police and civilians, tensions affecting African Americans in particular.  Many of the photographs portray the police in a negative manner. The photographs portray the police intentionally harming a citizen, or displaying behavior that is not becoming of a police officer. The photographs portray a picture of  the African American oppression that has been present throughout history.  Photographs like the ones recently seen in the media are similar to many photographs taken during the 1960’s Civil Rights Movements, and have been used to strike emotions in their viewers.  An example of this is a photo taken in 1963, that illustrates the President of the time, Lyndon B. Johnson, meeting with Civil Rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr., Whitney Young, and James Farmer in the Oval Office.  

African Americans have been oppressed ever since they were brought to America to be slaves.  Even after being given their freedom by the 13th amendment, African Americans have been burdened through segregation and unfair treatment.  Photographs do a superb job in illustrating many of the struggles African Americans had.  An example is the photograph that shows President Lyndon B. Johnson meeting with Civil Rights Leaders.  Examining facial expressions, President Lyndon B. Johnson seems to be explaining something to the civil rights leaders.  Martin Luther King Jr. listens in on what the President has to say with his hands folded, as if he is protecting himself.  The other two civil rights leaders have a look of disappointment on their faces and also have their hands folded, protecting themselves.  The Civil Rights leaders look of disappointment most likely means that President Johnson told them that he cannot help them with their endeavours in the Civil Rights Movement.  The Civil Rights leaders facial expressions represents a majority of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement and throughout history: dissapointed.  Failure for the United States to provide equal treatment for minorities lead African Americans to feel utter disappointment.

The African Americans in this photograph appear to be out of place and uncomfortable. This shows clearly through the photograph and is portrayed to the viewers and leaves the audience with an uncomfortable feeling.   Even without prior knowledge of the oppression of African Americans, viewers of the photograph are able to see the struggles of African Americans through the struggle of the color black to fit in with the color white in the photograph.  Black and white is all that can be seen in the photograph making it easy for viewers to see that the conflict really is black versus white.  The photograph makes viewers feel sorry for the African American people and ashamed that America, as a whole, could not welcome this group of people with open arms.  The focus of the photograph is on the men sitting around the table.  The white President is centered with the black Civil Rights Leaders sitting around him.  The white man is clearly the leader and center of attention. This also speaks volumes about the history of African Americans.  America has always insured that the white people in America have more benefits than the African American people.  White schools were more heavily funded than the African American schools, allowing for white children to receive a better education and theoretically, move up in society, leaving African Americans in a lower socio-economic level.  Everything in all aspects of society have been easier for the white people of America. The African American leaders were looking for some assistance with this. This exact segregation is what the Civil Rights leaders have gathered to discuss with President Lyndon B. Johnson. 

Further examining the photograph, other clues that the audience may take notice of would be; in the foreground of the photograph the men can be seen seated around a white coffee table, drinking out of white coffee cups.  The men are wearing black suits, which are the only black objects in the room other than the Civil Rights Leaders themselves.  In the background, the President's desk can faintly be seen with two flags next to it, one being the American Flag.   Behind the desk and the flags the white walls of the inside of the White House can be seen.  The fact that only a scarce number of black objects exist in the photograph opposed to the sea of white that can be viewed as symbols of the African American oppression. These symbols can make the audience feel the oppression, without the words being spoken.  The meeting between the President and the Civil Rights Leaders itself is being taken place in the White House.  The Civil Rights Leaders almost look out of place in the white dominated photograph.  Though, this has been the reality for most African Americans throughout history.  For a majority of African Americans, they have felt out of place in a white dominated society.  

Throughout history, it has always been a “white man’s world.”  From their being taken from their homeland of Africa and brought by white men to be used as slaves, until the present time, African Americans have been oppressed.  The photograph of the Civil Rights Leaders meeting with the President is able to deliver the message of African American oppression through several elements present in the photograph.  The Civil Rights Leaders’ disappointed facial expressions represent the disappointment of the African Americans for America’s failure to provide an equal and just society.  The white color dominated foreground and background illustrates the struggle for equality African Americans went through in a white dominated society.  The focus being on the men, with the white president in the center of the photograph portrays the difficulty of African Americans to move up in society with the focus being on the white citizens of America.  All of these aspects are used to invoke emotions in the audience. The audience feels the confusion and frustration of the African American men trying to prove their worth to the white President. Photographs like the one discussed in this essay are able to appeal to the emotions of their viewers and illustrate emotions. Photographs like these are used in propaganda campaigns to promote hate. Photographs can also be used in fundraising campaigns, using symbols to invoke the emotion of sympathy and compassion in the hopes of raising more money. Photographs are a powerful tool and can sway a person’s opinion without saying a word. 
