In 1965 Lyndon B. Johnson made clear his intentions to fight for the equal rights of all American citizens, no longer just privileged white Americans. He claimed America could not reach its assertion of the land of the free until all of its citizens were indeed free, he stressed the importance of freeing African Americans form the unfair economic struggle they face. Johnson alluded to the fact that many African Americans lived in poverty, were payed lower wages for the work they did, and also faced higher rates of unemployment. Johnson blamed this injustice on our society, one that was completely ignorant or apathetic to the struggles of the lower classes, giving on chance for them to improve their standards of living. Without equal rights African Americans would never be payed the wages they deserved for their work, nor could the ever reach higher skill levels necessary for upper level positions in companies and factories. It was the age old problem of racism or slavery still rearing its ugly head in the twentieth century. The white American public seemed unable to overcome their superiority complex after years of segregation and racism or perhaps of the guilt they felt after the realization that black and white were nothing more than unnecessary branding, while black Americans could not seem to rise above the inferiority they had been branded with since the times of slavery. Johnson attempted to close the gap between the races with his civil rights policies and his great society, but the institution of segregation could not be overcome as quickly as he had hoped.
The cartoon accurately displays this attitude. It features a white child and a black child, the white child is free while the black child is shackled to a ball and chain. This represents the oppression that black child still faced in society, the black child is also barely clad while the white child is dressed completely showing the difference in class as well as monetary stability. The white child then uses the black child as his stepping stool in achieving his desire to reach the top, climbing upon his back, pushing the black child down in order to reach his destination. Once the white child finally reaches his peak he looks down upon the black child and apologizes for using him claiming he knows better now. The black child who had been freed of his ball and chain restrictions (emphasizing breaking the physical barrier) asks then for the white child to help him reach the top as well. The white child seems shocked and refuses to help place the black child upon his same level. This represents the inability of overcoming the mental restrictions due to class and race. The white child even claims that to be reverse racism implying that is would be even more unjust or wrong for them to be in the position rather than separated by the barrier.
