Racial Inequality

Early 1950's - Presidents

President Truman held racist views and had once joined the KKK but now spoke out for civil rights, particularly returning soldiers
He gave black workers equality in armed forces and the civil service and ruled that government contracts couldnt be given to companies who refused black employees
1946 civil rights committee set up which recommended anti lynching laws, voting rights, an end to discrimination in interstate travel, a fair employment board....
this made no real change
Eisenhower seemed less committed to civil rights
he only emplyed one black worker on his election team who was given minor jobs
Eisenhower did introduce civil rights bills in 1957 and 1960
These made it illegal to obstruct school desegregation and illegal to stop black voters from voting, but it only increased by 3%

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Southern states laws passes segregation of white and african americans and ensured that A A were seen as inferior
These were passed in the late 19th century but continued on in half of the 20th century,
These so called Jim Crow laws imposed racial segreation in every aspect of life
1 000 000 AA had migrated to Northern industrial cities where they could find work but they were poorly paid and poorly housed
AA ghettoes grew up in parts of cities such as New York
Some were able to escape poverty and isolation in the north through sport or music
Some AA challenged Jim Crow laws afert WW2 as they fought along whites. Short term - encouraged whites to tighten existing laws to protect their superior status
Some soldiers who questioned their place in society were beaten or killed
KKK gained support after this questioning and bombed houses, injuring many AAs.
Many whites were afraid of the growing civil rights movement
Supreme court - Seperate but equal

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Schools for whites were often better funded than those for AAs
1954 20 states = segregated schools
NAACP challenged this inequality
Oliver Brown wanted to send his daughter to nearby white school
May, Supreme Court declared segregated schools unconstitutional
1955, Supreme Court ruled all states had to carry out desegregation of schools
Many southern states objected or did nothing or moved slowly. Very little change
KKK revival - recieved support from protestand churches. Klan was mocked in the media but killings increased
First Victory for blacks, led to little rock
increased black confidence and activism
didnt involve civil rights movements tactic - direct action/mass protest\civil disobediance

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Rosa Parks (42) refused to give up her seat for a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. She was arrested and fined $10 She was a trained NAACP activist
Young local preacher Martin Luther King started a bus boycott - everyone would walk to work. 210 AA taxi drivers offered seats for bus prices. A car-pool was organised. Lasted 381 days
King and supporters called themselves the Montgomery Improvement Association and hired NAACP lawyers to take it to court
MIA deliberately wanted small reforms - black drivers on black routes, wanted politeness. Did not challende segregation; asked for a first come first serve basis
Local white citizen councils opposed MIA and membership doubled. Ordered local officials to harrass leaders. Kings house was bombed in 1956 by the KKK
Boycott crippled the economy and ruined bus companies, local shopkeepers lost $1 million
November 13th courts ruled the car pools illegal - Same day, declared segregation on buses unconstitutional
It demonstrated that with unity comes success and violent opposition increased support
Increased black confidence - waved at klan members, copy cat boycotts throughout the south
success =limited. Everything else still segregated and revealed depth of racism and determination of white. Parks lost her job/recieved death threats/moved to Detroit

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9 AA students registered to attend Little Rock Central High School
State governer Faubas opposed intergration and posted members of the National guard outside the school to prevent them from entering
National television showed the events outside school with an angry mob jeering and jostling
Eventually they entered through a back door
Eisenhower was forced to send federal troops to enforce the law that entitled these students to attend. 11,000 police guarded them in
Inside the school the students continued to recieve abuse from the pupils
Defeat? few other schools desegregated and few black children wanted to face the danger.
1964 3% of americas black children attended desegregated schools
Little Rock wasnt fully desegregated until 1972

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Civil rights movement began to undermine segregations principles
1967 MLK stated it had created the new ***** who has a willingness to stand up courageously for what he feels is just
Still no mass movement of black americans who still lacked basic civil rights
MLKs southern christian leadership conference tried to organise the registration of 3 million new black voters in 1957, it only added 160000 more names
The movement provoked an angry white backlash
White citizen councils were going through the lists and finding reasons to delete the names of black voters
Several southern states outlawed the NAACP
Legal success i.e. Brown vs Topeka
First mass protest
Opposition such as the KKK increased

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generally improving - 87% black americans lived below the poverty line in 1940, fallen by 40% by 1959
Many Black americans has migrated from the South to the North in search of work
They earned more but paid higher rents to live in appaling and overcrowed ghettos surrounded by violence and crime
black workers were trapped in low-skilled, low paying jobs
average black income in 1957 was only 57% of a white worker
Unemployment in Blacks was 11% (double whites)
By the end of the 50's, there was little/no change in everyday black lives
still discriminated and segregated against socially, economically, and politically

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