How far do you agree that the years 1945-1955 saw only limited progress in improving the status of African-Americans? Essay Example
How far do you agree that the years 1945-1955 saw only limited progress in improving the status of African-Americans?
By 1955, Civil Rights for African-Americans had still not fully been achieved in northern and southern states but there had definitely been some improvement in the status of black people. The main factors preventing equality for black Americans in 1945 were casual discrimination and legalised segregation permitted by Jim Crow Laws, which continued through to 1955. This, along with other political, economic and social elements, limited the impact of change in black Americans’ status. Despite the work of desegregationist groups and the war effort of black Americans, they were still perceived as inferior to white people, even by 1955. Economically, there were clear signs of gradual change from 1945 to 1955 in the north and south, but not enough changes to reach full equality. By 1945, the NAACP, established in 1909, had gotten 450,000 members, with almost 150,000 members being from Southern states. Through the work of the NAACP, black registration was boosted by 21% from 1952-1956 to 1.2 million in the eleven Southern states. The organisation was focused on aiming to outlaw employment and housing discrimination by raising money to attend court to help pass desegregationist laws. This organisation was successful in encouraging leaders to support them. For example, the Fair Employment Practices Committee, set up by President Roosevelt in 1943, gave blacks equal opportunities in defence industries jobs. This increased employment rates and by 1955 there had been a 25% increase in African Americans working in the steel and iron industry. The numbers employed in government service increased from 50,000 to 200,000. By 1955, there was a 25% increase in job opportunities for black people, compared to 1945. This made a very large impact on African-Americans because higher paying jobs meant that they could provide for their families, especially since they
By 1955, Civil Rights for African-Americans had still not fully been achieved in northern and southern states but there had definitely been some improvement in the status of black people. The main factors preventing equality for black Americans in 1945 were casual discrimination and legalised segregation permitted by Jim Crow Laws, which continued through to 1955. This, along with other political, economic and social elements, limited the impact of change in black Americans’ status. Despite the work of desegregationist groups and the war effort of black Americans, they were still perceived as inferior to white people, even by 1955. Economically, there were clear signs of gradual change from 1945 to 1955 in the north and south, but not enough changes to reach full equality. By 1945, the NAACP, established in 1909, had gotten 450,000 members, with almost 150,000 members being from Southern states. Through the work of the NAACP, black registration was boosted by 21% from 1952-1956 to 1.2 million in the eleven Southern states. The organisation was focused on aiming to outlaw employment and housing discrimination by raising money to attend court to help pass desegregationist laws. This organisation was successful in encouraging leaders to support them. For example, the Fair Employment Practices Committee, set up by President Roosevelt in 1943, gave blacks equal opportunities in defence industries jobs. This increased employment rates and by 1955 there had been a 25% increase in African Americans working in the steel and iron industry. The numbers employed in government service increased from 50,000 to 200,000. By 1955, there was a 25% increase in job opportunities for black people, compared to 1945. This made a very large impact on African-Americans because higher paying jobs meant that they could provide for their families, especially since they