Topic 4 - Changes for minorities

Question 1

Stereotyping

Answer 1

TV reflected middle class values
Black people rarely seen on TV, except as servants, criminals, or figures of fun → e.g Beulah, a domestic servant

Question 2

Women

Answer 2

Advertisements depicted women housewives and mothers
Magazines focused on homecare, fashion, and how to keep your husband happy

Question 3

Black Americans

Answer 3

NAACP organised boycott of Blatz beer, which sponsored the Amos ‘n’ Andy Show which ridiculed Blacks
BUT → Black Americans had widespread respect in music

Question 4

Native Americans

Answer 4

Previously depicted as vicious savages in Western films → shown in a more positive and sympathetic light in films like Broken Arrow (1951) and Apache (1954)

Question 5

Black Americans

Answer 5

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) founded in 1909 and fought for racial equality
1948 → Eisenhower ordered desegregation of Armed forces
1954 Brown v Topeka → ruled segregation in schools illegal

Question 6

Native Americans

Answer 6

Many had no desire to return to reservations → led to change of government policy back to assimilation
1953 Termination → Reservations broken up and land sold off → unpopular and ineffective policy as only 3% of land sold

Question 7

Hispanic Americans

Answer 7

Bracero program → invited temp. workers from Latin America
200,000 Hispanic people entered US between 1950 and 1954
Many came illegally → remained poorly paid
Resurgence in Latin American culture, including music

Question 8

Entertainment

Answer 8

Music such as jazz and blues popular with all audiences → e.g. Louis Armstrong enjoyed widespread popularity
Harry Belafonte starred in Islands in the Sun (1956) which showed inter-racial romance → challenged prejudices

Question 9

Sport

Answer 9

US accepted black sporting heroes if they excelled → e.g. Anthea Gibson (tennis), Bill Willis (football), Jackie Robinson (baseball) → BUT individual successes didn’t lead to large numbers of Black Americans in these sports

Question 10

White backlash

Answer 10

White authorities, esp. in South hoped to ignore Brown v. Topeka ruling → there was a white racist backlash to ruling
Ku Klux Klan saw an increase in membership
Citizens’ Councils boycotted supporters of desegregation