Weak and Poor vs Powerful and Rich

While perhaps an innocent photo, I believe this picture was taken to capture the general perception of blacks and white in America during the late '50s and '60s. You have four bodies in this photo as the focal point of this photograph. You have a two powerful, wealthy white bodies. The white people in this photo are in suits indicating that they are likely on the higher rungs of the socioeconomic ladder. The men are looking up indicating that they are confident powerful people. The man in the background even appears to be enjoying a smoke. The people passing by do not appear to acknowledge the existence of the two black boys since no one is looking down.

Race is clearly depicted in this photo since the photographs focus depicts black and white. It then clearly puts them into two different classes based on race: white upper class individuals that pay a small fee to get a service that can easily be done by themselves. The black boys are depicted as weaker individuals that are poor, perhaps even as lesser individuals unable to do more complicated jobs. I think this mainly because it depicts blacks as only being able to do a straightforward job of shining shoes. They are looking down at the mens shoes, obviously to do their jobs properly, but I think it also is meant to get the impression that they are lesser people and not deserving of eye contact since the white men are not looking down; In fact, they are not even looking straight ahead showing that there is no conversation taking place between the powerful and weak.

At first glance I am taken aback that the two boys are not in school. I can only assume the businessmen are on their way to work (my idea of work in the business world is Monday through Friday during hours similar of school day). I feel as though a parent may be out of work and it is little Johnny trying to put the bread on the table, so to speak. I then begin "reading" the photo, I see that the men are middle aged, so they should have kids, and if so, why are they accepting a shoe shine from the poor child rather then giving the kid five bucks and a ride to school? I have to keep in mind child labor and our perception of child labor has changed greatly over the years, as well as who is entitled to go to school. I feel like if a white child was polishing those shoes there would be a few turned heads since the child should have been in school.