The new deal and Race relations 1933-41

Franklin Roosevelt

elected 4 successive times and viewed as a great reforming president. He was also the first president to denounce lynchings as murder despite at no point introducing anti-lynching laws.

Fillibuster

deliberate use of extensive speech making to slow down or prevent a vote on a proposal

Harold Ickes

Secretary of the interior, progressive republican + member of NAACP

AAA

overproduction was a big problem so this agricultural agency paid farmers to decrease production of certain goods including corn and tobacco however land owners used this to evict black sharecroppers (a total of 800 000 between 1933-40) and white landowners rarely passed on the compensation

Alabama Sharecroppers Union

this group attempted to resist forced displacement from AAA reaching a membership of 8000. However white landowners used force against them and nothing was done to prevent it

TVA

this alphabet agency constructed dams to prevent flooding and generate electricity. Black workers were employed but they were restricted to unskilled labour, given segregated housing, and excluded from programmes.

CCC

This alphabet agency was created to make jobs for men aged 17-18 working on forest conservation projects. Eventually 200 000 black Americans were employed but nothing was done to increase black employment and they were restricted to low skilled jobs

PWA

This was headed by Harold Ickes and employed thousands to construct and improve infrastructure. $65 million was spent on black schools, homes and hospitals, black Americans occupied over 30% of housing constructed and black workers were given equal pay

FERA

this alphabet agency was established to provide poor relief. Many state authorities were reluctant to assist as they believed poverty was a result of idleness. Additionally it was both underfunded and understaffed so it could not provide enough support for families. In the South, It was made increasing difficult for black workers to get on the welfare roll and often they paid black families less money (in Georgia black payment 30% lower) however 1/3 of black Americans benefitted from it

CCC in the North

black recruits at Fort Dix went on strike soon after arriving due to scarcity of food and being forced to eat raw potatoes and leave barracks for white recruits. 6 ‘ringleaders’ were arrested and sent home but 35 refused to return and of that 34 were sent home. CCC reports state the local white population were nervous of the “possibility of rape” and company 235-c were sent away from white towns. Not the only example of nervous local population

Social Security act

Created aid programmes for unemployed, elderly, and families. However pensions ranged from $10 - $85 monthly, unemployment benefits were only $18 weekly and families received amounts depending on the generosity of the state (monthly in Massachusetts was $61 but in Mississippi was $8). Many black Americans were excluded from this due to being seasonal or temporary but it may not have been racially motivated as other countries had similar policies.

Executive order 8802

Created to prevent discrimination in defense industries however 2/3 of 8000 cases were dismissed often without adequate reason. There was a clear lack of intention to improve the economic situation of black Americans due to it lasting only the length of WW2

Eleanor Roosevelt

First lady. She had public interest in black affairs, attending black gatherings and had frequent meetings with prominent members of the black community. After a march on Washington was threatened she went to negotiate and reported that only an anti-discrimination ordinance would prevent it so Roosevelt signed executive order 8802. However she pressured him to support the anti lynching bills and the Sojourner Truth housing development in Detroit. She was blamed for the detroit riot

Marian Anderson

black Singer who was invited to sing at the white house but later the DAR refused to let her sing in front of an integrated audience. She was then invited to sing in front of 75 000 at the Lincoln memorial and Eleanor Roosevelt left the DARand explained why in a column published in 90 newspapers.

1929

Great Depression

1932

Democrats gain power and had all seats in the house of representatives

1933

Agricultural adjustment Agency

1933-40

200 000 black sharecroppers evicted due to AAA

1934

Alabama Sharecroppers union reaches 8000 members

1933

Tennessee Valley Authority

1933

Civilian Conservation Corps

1942

CCC disbanded

1933

Public Works Administration

1944

PWA disbanded

1933

Federal Emergency Relief Administration

1935

FERA disbanded

1935

Social Security Act

1937

Nolan Breedlove failed at getting the supreme court to outlaw poll tax

1941

Executive order 8802

1945

Executive Order 8802 ended

1936

Roosevelt addresses an all black audience for the first time, acknowledging the importance if the black vote

1934

NAACP support Costigan and Wagner anti lynching bill. Not passed due to lack of presidential support and Southern Democrat filibuster

1934

violent lynching of Claude Neal (anti-lynching bill proposed as a result)

1938

Eleanor Roosevelt attends the Southern Conference for Human Welfare in Birmingham Alabama where she sits with black delegated despite attempts to enforce segregation laws. The conference declared support for equality before the law, voting registration for the poor and funding for black students.

1936

Eleanor Roosevelt invites black singer Marian Anderson to sing at the white house

1939

Marian Anderson was refused to sing by daughters of the American Resistance

1940

Eleanor Roosevelt promotes national sharecroppers week and the national committee to abolish poll tax

1930

19 major trade unions excluded black membership. It was estimated black union membership was 50 000 out of 3.4 million, half of which from the brotherhood of sleeping car porters

1937

GAvagan anti lynching bill defeated in the senate

1935

Due to Eleanor Roosevelt’s influence, Mary Mcleod Bethune was made special advisor of minority affairs

1936

Mary McLeod Bethune becomes chairperson of informal ‘black cabinet’