The New Deal & African Americans

On October 29, 1929, the United States stock market crashed, bringing along with it a collapse of the global economy.   The time period that followed would come to be known as the Great Depression were the unemployment level skyrocketed to nearly 25% at its peak and the national income dropped from $87 Billion in 1930 to an eventual $40 Billion in 19331. Communities of huts and shacks called “Hoovervilles” sprang up across the nation filled with Americans affected by the depression. In the midst of a crisis such as this, the American people put their faith in President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 to turn the economic downslide and lead America into recovery. With the faith of the people behind him, President Roosevelt instituted a “New Deal” in America that consisted of unprecedented Government intervention to relieve the Country’s economic aliment. The “New Deal” was set out to put thousands back to work across the country through Government authorized administrations such as the Public Works Administration and the Works Progress Administration which employed over 8 million people for numerous jobs. Unfortunately, not every American reaped the benefits of the “New Deal”; as racial discrimination in 1930s society prevented African Americans from playing a role in the Governments attempt to revive the economy. The plight of African Americans during this time is often overlooked and the inequality in the New Deal ignored but was a necessary evil in the eventual progression of blacks in America.

  Elected in 1932, President Franklin Roosevelt made unprecedented political moves in an attempt to boost the American economy. During the famous “First Hundred Days” of Roosevelt’s Presidency, the President initially focused on the farm and rural community with acts such as the Farm Security Act and Agricultural Adjustment Act which in turn created the Resettlement Administration, the Farm Security Administration, the Rural Electrification Administration and the... [continues]

Read full essay