A bust of Cesar Chavez, the labour leader and civil rights activist, is nestled among an array of framed family photos displayed on a desk behind the new president.
Also represented in sculpture are civil rights figureheads Martin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks. A bust of Winston Churchill, the war time British leader, was among the items removed in the revamp.
Benjamin Franklin peers down at Mr Biden from a portrait on a nearby wall.
Mr Biden brought a dark blue rug out of storage to replace a lighter coloured one installed by former president Donald Trump.
One office feature remains: Mr Biden is also using what is known as the Resolute Desk because it was built from oak used in the British Arctic exploration ship HMS Resolute.