African American Social Developments: Developments from the 1920s to the 1940s Flashcards
Name 2 prominent African American musicians during the 1920s
Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington
What was the occupation of Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen?
They were writers
Which organisation did Marcus Garvey found in what year (UNIA)
United Negro Improvement Association, formed in 1920
What did the UNIA advocate for?
It advocated for African Americans to move to their own American state in Africa
How did the Liberian government respond to Garvey’s proposal?
They opposed it
What year did Harding make a speech advocating for racial income equality?
1921
What form of bill did Harding support for African Americans in 1921?
Anti-Lynching Bill
What happened to the anti-lynching bill in 1921?
It was blocked by Southern Democrats
Which party in the USA adopted Black rights in the 1930s?
The Communist Party
What were some Communist lawyers able to do for some African Americans?
They were able to get 9 African Americans out of a case where they had been accused of raping white women
Which individual close to Franklin Roosevelt advocated for racial equality?
Eleanor Roosevelt
What did Eleanor Roosevelt do in 1936?
She hosted a garden party for black girls at the White House
Why was FDR cautious of supporting African Americans further before 1938?
He felt it would damage the Solid South
What did FDR say to Conservative White Southern Democrats at the 1938 mid-term election?
They would be “purged” of their roles
In 1935, how many times more African Americans were on relief than White Americans?
3 times as many African Americans
How many African Americans had benefitted from school building by the WPA by 1939?
1 million African Americans
Who created the first black trade union?
Philip Randolph
What year was the first black trade union created?
1925
What did Philip Randolph threaten to do in 1941?
Have a march opposing discrimination in employment
Which executive order did Franklin Roosevelt make in response to Randolph?
Executive Order 8802
What did Executive Order 8802 do?
It banned racial discrimination in the defence industry
What did Executive Order 9346 do to the Fair Employment Practices Commission?
It gave the commission $500,000 extra in funding
What percentage of discrimination cases was the Fair Employment Practices Commission successful with in the North?
66% of cases
What percentage of discrimination cases was the Fair Employment Practices Commission successful with in the West?
50% of cases
How many cases did the Fair Employment Practices Commission work on?
8000 cases
What form of strikes occurred against African Americans?
strikes
Name a state that often experienced hate strikes
Detroit
What did a Kansas Steel business say about their situation with employing African Americans by 1940?
They had not had an African American employee for 25 years
What was the situation for most trade unions in letting African Americans join them during WWII?
They would not let them join
How many African Americans were in the USA in 1940 and how many of them were employed?
13 million African Americans in 1940, 5 million were employed
How many African American women were employed in 1940?
2 million
What percentage of annual White American wages did African Americans make during WWII?
Made 50% of White American’s wages
What did a 1940 survey show with defence industries wanting to employ African Americans?
Half of them did not want to employ African Americans
What happened in Detroit in 1943?
There was a race riot
How many people were killed in the 1943 Detroit Riot?
30 people
How many people were involved in the 1943 Detroit Riot?
100,000 people
What happened in the 1943 Battle of Bamber Bridge in the USA?
White police officers attacked Black soldiers
What film was created to try and reduce racial tensions?
“The Negro Soldier”
What fraction of African American soldiers went overseas during WWII?
1/8
Which part of the American military experienced discrimination the most?
The Navy
How many people were killed after some ammunition exploded on a ship in the Navy?
300 people
What year did the ammunition Navy explosion occur?
1944
Which all-African American airforce group was made?
The Tuskegee Airmen
By what year had 600 African Americans been trained to fly?
1945
What was an issue with the Tuskegee Airmen in terms of separation?
They were a segregated force
Why did Franklin Roosevelt continue to not largely improve the situation for African Americans?
He felt it would result in the loss of the Solid South
By what factor did the amount of African Americans working for the federal government increase from 1939 to 1945?
Increased by a factor of 4
