Divisions in the black community

Question 1

Topic sentence

Answer 1

Finally, other historians argue that division in the black community was the most important barrier to depriving black people of their civil rights.

Question 2

Evidence 1

Answer 2

W. E. De Bois founded the National Association for the Advancement of coloured people (NAACP) in 1909, which tried to fight the battle against disenfranchisement and sought to reduce racial segregation and white supremacy. De Bois believed in and supported racial integration.

Question 3

Analysis 1

Answer 3

This was an important obstacle from preventing black people from achieving civil rights because it was ineffective. Although it had 91 000 members in 1919, it made little progress as it didn’t appeal to ordinary black people

Question 4

Evidence 2

Answer 4

Furthermore, Marcus Garvey founded the UNIA in 1914 which were an organisation committed to black separatism and unlike De. Bois opposed racial integration

Question 5

Analysis 2

Answer 5

This was an important obstacle to preventing black people from achieving civil rights as the existence of different organisations with different ideologies and aims reduced the impact on the fight for civil rights as there was no unified movement.

Question 6

Counter analysis

Answer 6

However, the brotherhood of the sleeping car porters founded by A. Philip Randolph in 1925 did make some progress in achieving civil rights for black people. In 1941, Randolph organised a mass march to demand an end to segregation and discrimination in the USA and President Roosevelt stated that in exchange for the cancellation of the march there should be no discrimination in the workplace because of race. Their success is exemplified through historian Lucy Kinsellas argument, “Their eventual triumph marked the first time in American history that a Black union forced a powerful corporation to the negotiating table”.

Question 7

Evaluation

Answer 7

To evaluate, division in the black communities was a big obstacle in preventing black people from achieving civil rights by 1941, as the differing believes and lack of unity reduced the impact of these organisations. For example De Bois greatly criticised Garveys approach and feared that Garveys methods would undermine his success. However, these organisations only came about due to popular prejudice and racism as black people were made to campaign for their basic rights.