Truman - African Americans & Civil Rights

What was the overall position of African-Americans in 1945?

- ~14 million Africans-Americans (10% of US population).

- 75% lived in the South.

- Faced systematic discrimination in:

+ Social life (segregation).

+ Economy (low wages, poor jobs).

+ Politics (restricted voting).

+ Law (lack of protection).

Overall: Second-class citizens, especially in the South.

How did Segregation affect daily life in the South?

- Jim Crow laws enforced de jure segregation (by law).

- Segregated

+ Schools, buses, trains, cinemas, restaurants.

- African-Americans:

+ Had to sit in separate sections.

+ Used separate (inferior) facilities.

- Example:

+ Could not sit at lunch counters.

+ Served through side windows.

Result: Constant humiliation + reinforced white superiority.

What was education like for African-Americans?

- Segregated schools = much lower quality.

- Less fundings, poorer facilities, fewer resources.

- Limited access to higher education.

Result: Restricted career opportunities and reinforced poverty.

Why were African-Americans economically disadvantaged?

- Most worked in agriculture as sharecroppers.

- Others in low-paid service jobs (cleaners, maids, bellhops).

- Few skilled or professional jobs available.

- Cycle of poverty:

+ Poor education = low skills = low wages.

- Rosa Parks worked as seamstress and cleaner.

- Fannie Lou Hamer was a poor sharecropper.

How were African-Americans prevented from voting?

- Literacy tests:

+ Extremely difficult or impossible questions.

- Poll tax:

+ Fee required to vote (e.g. $16.50 - very high).

- Intimidation:

+ Threats from officials or groups.

- Evidence

+ Only 3% registered in 1940 = 12% in 1947.

Result: African-Americans had almost no political power.

How did the legal system treat African-Americans?

- Little projection from white police.

- All-white juries = biased verdicts.

- Violence often unpunished.

- Example:

+ Black servicemen attacked after WWII with no consequences.

Result: Law upheld white supremacy.

How was the North different?

- No legal segregation - de facto segregation (in practice).

- African-Americans:

+ Could vote

+ Had access to better-paid jobs.

- Stills:

+ Lived in Ghettos (e.g. Harlem).

+ Faced racism and discrimination.

Result: Better than South, but still unequal.

What was the Great Migration and why did it happen?

- Movement of African-Americans from South = North.

- Reasons:

+ Escape segregation

+ Find better jobs

- Impact:

+ Growth of black communities in cities.

+ Increased political inflence.

How did WWII change opportunities?

- ~2 million African-Americans moved to cities.

- Worked in defence industries (e.g. Detroit, Oakland).

- Led to:

+ Higher wages.

+ New skills

But: caused racial tensions = riots (e.g. 1943).

Why did activism increase after WWII?

- Fighting for democracy abroad highlighted inequality at home.

- Black soldiers returned demanding rights.

- Urban living increased organisation

Example:

- NAACP membership rose from 50,000 to 450,000.

What methods were used to challenge segregation?

- Sit-ins:

+ Protest segregation in restaurants.

- Journey of Reconciliation (1947):

+ Tested segregation laws on buses.

- Legal challenges:

+ Focused on courts to overturn laws.

Strategy: Combine Protests + Legal action.

What legal progress was made?

- Segregation on railroad dining cars was illegal (Henderson vs United States).

- A black students could not be physically separated from white students in the University of Oklahoma (McLaurin vs Oklahoma State Regents).

- A separate black Texan law school was not equal to the all-white University of Texas law school, to which the petitioner had therefore to be admitted. (Sweatt vs Painter).

What did President Harry S. Truman do?

- 1947 report: 'To Secure These Rights'.

- Proposed:

+ Anti-lynching laws.

+ End poll tax.

+ Voting rights laws.

+ Civil rights division.

- Actions:

+ Desegregated armed forces.

- First president to seriously push Civil Rights.

Why was progress limited?

- Congress (dominated by Southern Democrats) blocked reforms.

- SCOTUS lacked enforcement power.

- Federal government relied on states.

Result: Slow and limited change.

How did states influence civil rights?

- Controlled:

+ Voting

+ Education

+ Transport

- Sourthern states:

+ Maintained segregation.

- Some progress:

+ Fair employment laws in some areas.

- Local control slowed national progress.

Compare conditions in North and South?

North:

- Better jobs (industry).

- Could vote.

- De facto segregation.

- Political influence growing,

South:

- Sharecropping, poverty.

- Few could vote.

- De jure segregation.

- Strong white control.

How far did things improve (1945-52)

Improvements:

- More jobs (especially in North).

- Growth of activism (NAACP, protests).

- Early legal successes.

- Truman's support.

Continuity (problems remained):

- Segregation still widespread.

- Voting still restricted in South.

- Economic inequality continued.

- Racism deeply entrenched.

Conclusion:

- Some important progress, but limited overall change - especially in the South.