African American factor Q Flashcards
Intro/ Concl
FG- Helped advance AA CR through landmark legislation and the enforcement of civil rights, yet this enthusiasm wasn’t properly exhibited until the 1960s with racism/ discrimination against AAs remaining rampant throughout the era.
Groups-
Socio-economic-
Actions of groups/ individuals
Booker T Washington- Atlanta Compromise, “racial accomodation” and economic self-help. Believed to be too cautious & limited by his era.
W.E.B DuBois & NAACP 1909- demanded immediate CR and challenges to segregation.
Marcus Garvey and UNIA- adovated black pride and ecobomic self-sufficiency. Believed to be too radical.
MLK, MALCOLM X, BLACK PANTHERS ETC ETC
Fed/State govts/ Supreme Court
Discrimination against AA varied in strength, but overall decreased to the greatest extent, with political discrimination against AAs by the end of the period becoming weak and limited.
Briefly weak 1866 Civil Rights Act (declared unconstitutional in 1875) and the 15th Amendment which made AAs equal in the eyes of the law, SIMILAR IN SHOWING THE INCLUSION OF AAS WITHIN POLITICS IN THE RECONSTRUCTION ERA.
1870s- 22 AAs elected to Senate with Blanche K Bruce serving a full term, demonstrating the inclusion of AAs within politics, thus showing weak opposition in the beginning of the period.
Plessy v Ferguson 1896- segregation deemed consitutional, strengthening political discrimination against AAs which lasted until 1954 with Brown v Board overruling the doctrine of “seperate but equal” after nearly half a century. DIFFERENT CONCERNING SEGREGATION, BROWN V BOARD AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE.
Weakening discrimination through Brown V Board continued to grow into the 1960s, perpetuated by anti-discriminatory legislation like the CR act 1964 and 1965 Voting Rights Act- strengthened equality before the law SIMILAR TO 15TH AMENDMENT.
1988 Civil Rights Restoration Act- despite being veoted by Reagan in addition to the Supreme Court ruling Gore V Bell 1988 which attempted to limit CRL enforcement BUT were overturned demonstrating hostility BUT demonstrates discrimination did not remain strong as equality prevailed.
Socio-economic
Least significant- AAs discriminated against regardless of economic prosperity or depression, more of a highlighter of inequality.
Weakening of discrimination only visible towards the end of the period.
Failure of economic provisions post emancipation “fourty acres and a mule”, 3/4 still lived in RURAL SOUTHERN AREAS despite success of the Homestead Act 1866 where more AAs became land owners this land was often infertile and badly managed. Most land bought/ took by white settlers before the onset of 1900. SHARECROPPING.
FDR’s “New Deal” - exclusion from NIRA 1933, Social Security Act 1935, unskilled workers believed to lack the necessary skills to earn a wage, 75% of all AA workers “unskilled”- SHOWS DELIBERATE EXCLUSION/ INACTION TO HELP AA WORKERS THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD.
Arguably declined through the Affirmative Action Program, the fact the program was needed shows the lingering presence of discrimination.
1980s- unemployment and wage disparities persisted , Raegan’s conservatibe backlash. 21% unemployed to 11% of white families, suggests that economic discrimination has weakened but remains present.
