(ZINN READING) Chapter 13: Last Hired, First Fired: How the Great Depression Affected African Americans Flashcards
(25 cards)
How did the Great Depression impact African Americans?
They suffered the highest unemployment rates and were the first to face job cuts
How did African American unemployment rates compare to those of white Americans?
Their rates were double or triple those of whites
What percentage of African Americans were unemployed in 1932
50% of African Americans were jobless
How did African American sharecroppers fare during the Great Depression?
Many fell into deep debt and joined the Great Migration
How did grassroots organizations help African Americans during this time?
They united to fight discriminatory hiring practices, resulting in the employment of 2,000 African Americans
What was the “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” campaign?
A boycott movement that protested businesses refusing to hire African Americans
Who organized the National Council of Negro Women in 1935?
Mary McLeod Bethune
What was the purpose of the National Negro Congress in 1936?
It united organizations to fight for anti-lynching legislation and workers’ rights
What was the Southern Negro Youth Congress, formed in 1937?
A group that worked to register voters and organize boycotts
How did African Americans shift their political allegiance during this period?
They moved from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party
By 1936, what percentage of African Americans voted for FDR?
Over 70%
Why didn’t FDR support federal anti-lynching laws or banning the poll tax?
He needed Southern Democrats’ support to pass his New Deal agenda
How did FDR involve African Americans in his administration?
He tripled their numbers in federal government positions and appointed the first Black federal judge
What was the “Black Cabinet”?
A group of African American advisors appointed by New Deal officials
Did New Deal programs help African Americans economically?
Yes, but they were implemented at the state level, where racial segregation persisted
How did New Deal programs discriminate against African Americans?
Policies allowed segregation, and some programs excluded Black workers from benefits
How was the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) discriminatory?
It established racially segregated camps
What role did the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) play in racial discrimination?
It refused to insure mortgages in African American neighborhoods
How did the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) impact Black sharecroppers?
It did not require passing funds to tenant farmers, many of whom were Black
Why were African American sharecroppers not eligible for Social Security?
They worked in agricultural and domestic jobs, which were excluded from benefits
- What long-term impact did African American activism during the Great Depression have?
It helped lay the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement
What major change in voting behavior occurred among African Americans during the 1932 election?
Many shifted to voting for the Democratic Party for the first time
