Lyndon B. Johnson meets with Civil Rights Leaders Martin Luther King, Jr., Whitney Young, and James Farmer in the Oval Office was an extremely powerful photograph of some of the most influential civil rights activists coming together with the President of the United States to go over critical issues of their time period. This image taken in January of 1964 makes a prominent statement about the joining forces of civil rights activists and foreshadows the end of segregation. The elements illustrated in this photograph contribute to the march toward civil rights through the use of symbols, icons, and the setting. 

To truly understand the significance of this photo, it is critical to clarify the history behind it. 1964 was a progressive year for the Civil Rights movement. Not long after this picture was taken, the 24th amendment abolished the poll tax which was first put into place to hinder black people's ability to vote. This meeting with the President at the time shows hope for justice and equality since the most powerful man in the nation decided to sit down and work along side the most influential Civil Rights Leaders. That same year President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act in July prohibiting discrimination of all kinds based on race, color, religion or national origin and transformed American society. This law allowed the federal government to enforce desegregation and prohibit discrimination in public facilities, government and employment. The Jim Crow laws in the South were also abolished, and it became illegal to enforce segregation of race in schools, housing, or hiring. This proves just how successful and effective the meeting among these activists was. 

This photograph demonstrates the importance and desire for change and desegregation in many ways. In this image, the setting is crucial. The meeting took place in the President's Oval Office, the official office of President Johnson. This is incredibly important because this shows just how invested President Johnson was in this movement that he would go to the extent and invite the most influential Civil Rights Leaders to such an exclusive and personal space. This was a big deal for the Civil Rights movement especially since it offered critical credibility and almost validated or confirmed that integration and civil rights are on their way. The men are shown gathered in the office, casually sitting around a table with some refreshments proving that it was a very lighthearted meeting among friends while still serious enough to be discussing pressing issues. They seem to be having tea which is a welcoming and inviting detail from this photograph proving that this meeting was voluntary and that the leaders company was expected and desired. Johnson seems to have his glasses off and is talking openly and respectfully towards Whitney Young and James Farmer, this is proven by the way Johnson is making direct eye contact, his hand is open and inviting, and his body language is focused and engaged. The Civil Rights Leaders are all being attentive and interested by what the President is saying. The flags in the background are an important symbol. They represent freedom and unity which is what the United States of America and the Civil Rights Movement are all about. This meeting proved itself to be productive by giving a significant amount of hope for the civil rights movement. All of these symbols contribute to the march toward civil rights which is what this image is obviously portraying. 

Icons are greatly pronounced in this photo and can be seen in two different ways. The first is if the word is taken from the definition explaining this word as "a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something" (dictionary.com). Martin Luther King Jr. is probably the most recognized Civil Rights Leader there ever was and ever will be. For him to be shown in this photo, making history, is incredibly iconic. He is a well-known hero for his passion and determination to end segregation. To be sitting next to the President of the United States at the time and being invited to hold a meeting in one of the most private and preferential rooms in the White House is also considerably iconic. This image is filled with icons. Second, it can also be interpreted by the other definition of icon being "a sign whose form directly reflects the thing it signifies," (dictionary.com). The actual photo is an icon since it is a clear and obvious representation of the Civil Rights Movement directly emulating what it is symbolizing. The photo itself directly mirrors the significance of the 1960s officially proving that this image is indeed an icon in and of itself.

Many features and details contribute to the indication that this photograph is undoubtedly an act of the Civil Rights Movement. The setting in which this photograph is taking place, the notable men coming together to discuss pressing matters, the formality of the meeting is obvious yet laid back, and the american flag representing everything these people stand for all provide effective allegories which define the Civil Rights Movement and everything it eventually accomplished. 

