Above is “Racism/Incident at Little Rock” , illustrated by Domingo Ulloa in 1957. By looking at the painting we see a contrast of colors and facial expressions, which shows us the difference in emotions based on one’s race. In the center there are children shown holding books while walking into school.  There are white figures in the back that look like monsters that depict the action of wanting to kill the children. When one looks at this image one sees the unity of the African American community. The children also are huddling showing scared  faces but still sticking by each other for comfort. The unity shown is extremely important because at the time this painting was illustrated the segregation and tension between the races at an all-time high.

There are many different aspects of this picture that we can analyze. The first element is color; The colors of an image play a huge role in how the viewer feels. First, we can look at the colors of the children’s outfits. The light blue represents youth. Youth can be talking about the ages of the kids, or it can be describing the youth of the new era that is beginning with the beginning of the end of racism. The blue on the girl shows her calm demeanor and peace she is showing on the outside, whether she feels calm and peaceful on the inside is a different story. The little boy next to the girl, is wearing yellow, which in this image represents optimism. The boy may not be feeling optimistic about the situation, but the optimism of the whole African American race on his back. The African American society is putting all their faith and power into these children in hopes of changing the way of life for the generation to come. The little boy at the end is wearing a green shirt. His face is more stern and the green represents jealousy. The jealousy of the people who can go to school and get a better education simply because of their skin tone or jealousy of the other African American students who don’t have to walk through a crowd of hateful white adults.  The colors of the outfits give the viewer a sense of how not only the children feel, but how whole race of African Americans feel. The black society is depending on the youth and their bravery to open up doors for the next generation. 

The background and body language of the characters in the image help explain the theme. The first girl’s shoulders are somewhat shrugged and hunched over. This symbolizes her fear of having to walk in between a group of “monsters”. Her facial expression is somewhat blank; I believe this is her way of hiding how she really feels. The painter wanted to show her bravery and lack of showing emotions as her strength.  The little boy next to her is standing up in a rigid manner. His face displays fear, his eyes are wide open absorbing his surroundings and at the same time he is taking in the full experience. The third girl seems to be looking directly at the viewer. When I look at her I feel a sense of fear, as if she is crying out for help. The little boys on the end look somewhat have a blank face. They seem to be taking everything that is being thrown at them and just handling the hatred really well. The background of the picture is filled with white figures with huge mouths. They are throwing their arms in the air and seem to be yelling; looking like they want to attack the six children with their huge mouths and lengthy bodies. 

“Racism/Incident at Little Rock” has a very precise way of showing the line patterns. There seems to be a curve of the monsters all leaning in towards the center of the image. This is just emphasizing the children in the middle. The pathway on the ground is even curved narrowing towards behind the children. I think this is showing that the road they are heading is widening. As if they are broadening the path for the upcoming generations. There is a light shining on the path behind the group. The light is kind of pointy as in the shape of a flame in my opinion which I think just adds the intensity to the picture.  In the back of the white creatures there are colors of red and grey. This can symbolize the anger from the white creatures of the new becoming of the races. It can also symbolize the danger of the children and the danger of the community if this plan for the children falls through. They grey in the sky is showing the dignity of the youths as they have to hold their head high and be more brave then they ever have been before. I think the lack of directions of lines shows that there was no set way to make this happen. There was no guide line for how to end segregation, however, the actions that the children took created a pathway for the future generations. 

Ulloa’s image has some hidden details and meanings that, once discovered, give off the theme of unity and bravery. The detailed lines in the image, or lack thereof, represent the diminishing of the lines of segregation The stand that the children took to walk through the group of “monsters” opened the door way for the rest African Americans that won’t have to go through the discrimination they did. The use of colors and body language also close out the theme of the fear and determination that the children displayed. Overall, this illustration does give a vivid feeling of segregation but also unity from the African American community. 
