The Civil Rights Bill

President Johnson signs the Civil Rights bill at the White House, July 3, 1964. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of many dignitaries on hand to witness the signing and to hear President Johnson call on all Americans to help “eliminate the last vestiges of injustice in America.”

The day after the signing, The Times published three pictures: an image similar to this one, but in which Dr. King isn’t pictured; a close-up of President Johnson’s signature; and a wire-service photo of President Johnson giving Dr. King a ceremonial pen. But in this image, which went unpublished until 2016, it’s striking to note just how few faces of color were present for such a significant moment in black history.