4.4 How far did the civil rights of minorities improve 1945-55 Flashcards
(24 cards)
how had black americans seen advancement since ww2
-their share in defence related employment rose from3-8%
-the Tuskegee airmen had achieved national recognition
-almost half a million BAs had joined the national association for the advancement of coloured people
why did BAs suffer disproportionately after ww2
-workers from ethnic minorities were usually the first to lose their jobs as wartime production moved over to a peacetime economy and demobilised servicemen returned to their old jobs
why were returning black servicemen attacked
-racist whites feared their combat experience might make them less accepting of their inferior status
-56 attacks between 1945 and 1946
-the national emergency committee against mob violence urged president truman to take action to end racial abuse
why was truman made FDRs vice president at the time
-he was from a former slave state and it was believed this would make FDR more attractive to southern white voters
how did truman, at the start of his presidency, do little to aid BAs
-refused to allow the Fair Employment Practices commission to order Washington DC’s transit system to hire black workers
what was Truman’s July 1948 Executive Order 9981
-brought to an end the segregation of the US armed forces
-ever since black americans had been allowed in the us armed forces, they recived worse pay and condiitions and usually had white officers
how was the timing of executive order 9981 synoptic with the presidential election
-the democrats were facing a serious challenge from the republicans
-the democrats were also splitting up - Henry Wallace, a left wing democrat, was standing for the presidency as a progressive
comissioned by Truman, what was the TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS report
-allowed civil rights groups, including the NAACP to put forward their views
-called for a permanent civil rights division of the justice department
-called for the creation of a commission on civil rights, antilynching laws, abolition of poll tax and desegregation of the armed forces
what dud truman call for in exectuive order 9980
-created the fair employment board to ensure equal treatment in hiring for federal jobs
by the end of his presidency, how had truman made attempts to advance the cause of american civil rights
-the korean war was the first conflict that sae black and whites fighting together
-by 1952, the army air force and navy were all segregated
why had BAs been prominent in professional sport before 1945
-their superior talent rather than an aspect of racial equality
-in the 1930s and 40s, Joe Louis, known as the brown bomber, won more titles than any ither world heavyweight
-1936 olympic Jesse Owens, roosevelt refused to welcome him at the white house
how was there a major breakthrough in 1947 in major league baseball
-Brroklyn dodgers signed Jackie Robinson as the first ever black professional at top level
-when he retired, his number 42 was withdrawn by all MLB teams in his honour
what was the reality for most BA s in sports
-still faced racial segregation in most sports, where they faced difficulty in acquiring jobs, particularly in coaching and getting the same pay and conditions as whites
-many faced verbal abuse from white spectators
how did BAs fare in popular entertainment
-tended to get supporting roles in menial positions in Hollywood films
-first BA to win an oscar was Hattie McDaniel who played a domestic servnat in Gone with the wind 1939
-rock n roll gave BA singers a change to get national recognition, such as Chuck Berry
what was an early victory for the NAACP
-1930, NAACP lobbying prevented Hoover from appointing arch segregationalist John Parker into the US Supreme court
how was the NAACP affected by ww2
-membership grew from 50,000 to 450,000
what was ‘the crisis’
-NAACP magazine edited by leader WEB Dubois
-received national notoriety
what did charles houston do for the NAACP during the depression
-supported the idea of organising southern blacks who faced the greatest discrimination
-southern branches of the NAACP were established or reformed and many blacks in trade unions joined the organisation
what was the NAACPs southern strategy
how did the NAACP work after 1945
-worked closely with other civil rights groups such as the CIOs political action committee
-the NAACP made representations in the president’s committee for civil rights
-and in the commitees report in october 1947, TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS
what was the greatest achievement of the NAACP in legal cases
-the US Supreme court in a unanimous decision declared school segregation unconstitutional
-the court ruled it contravened the 14th amendment of the us constitution which guaranteed US citizens equal protection of law
why did brown vs the board of education, topeka, kansas so significant in 1954
-kansas was outside the old south
-it was not a former confederate state and had been against slavery in the civil war
-racial segregation in kansas public schools was therefore particularly significant
-NAACP argued there was psychological and educational discrimination within segregated schools
what was the 1950 sweatt vs painter case
-the US supreme court had demanded an upgrade of the BA prairie view university because it argued that its educational facilities were inferior
-in its ruling on brown vs the board of education, the supreme court declared all racially segregated schools systems as unequal
what did eisenhower do in 1953 that was a key factor in the change in the US Supreme courts views on racial segregation
-the appointment of Earl Warren as the new chief justice
