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How far do you agree that the years 1945-55 saw only limited progress in improving the status of African Americans?

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Introduction

How far do you agree that the years 1945-55 saw only limited progress in improving the status of African Americans? Truman?s ?Fair Deal? programme was seen as creating limited progress in improving the status of African Americans. Truman?s attempt at getting the government to build housing in deprived areas; which addressed African Americans? economic problems was seen as being flawed. This is because previous buildings, deemed as being poorly constructed were demolished and replaced with new public housing. This programme created far fewer houses than before; which meant that there was actually less housing for African Americans. From this I can infer that he program was flawed and actually exacerbated the status of African Americans, as there was less housing. Although the ?Fair Deal? programme was seen as being ineffective in improving the status of African Americans; some could argue that the desegregation of armed forces was. Truman highlighted the dilemma of segregation in the army in the bill ?To Secure These Rights?. ...read more.

Middle

Painter court case of 1950 was. Sweat V. Painter was the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured Peoples? first successful challenge to segregation in education. The course emerged when Hemam Sweatt, a black student, was denied from studying law at the University of Texas. The NAACP?s strong involvement in the case helped it to be funded, and supplied an attorney. The NAACP took the case to the Supreme Court and managed to win the case for Sweatt. The involvement of the NAACP in the case massively helped to persuade the Supreme Court. This court ruling helped to bring de hure change across many of the southern universities. By desegregating many of the universities, the case was seen as significantly improving the status of African Americans. Overall I believe that the success of the Sweatt V. Painter ruling overpowered the little change that emerged from CORE?s Journey of Reconciliation. I believe this as it enabled black Americans to enlist in universities; which were previously stated as being ?white only?, whereas black Americans were still able to ride interstate buses. ...read more.

Conclusion

Furthermore the southern states were seen as lacking proper education for black southerners. This massively improved the status of African Americans, as school integration meant that they had more opportunities. Overall I believe that Brown V. Board of Education of Topeka court case was more significant than the white backlash, as African Americans were now integrated in schools. Even though there was a large amount of backlash, it was not significant to exacerbate the status of African Americans. Although there was still a lack in de facto change, one can easily come to the conclusion that the years 1945-55 actually saw quite significant progress in improving the status of African Americans. Furthermore the various feats achieved from organisations such as the NAACP, helped exacerbate the white backlash. Additionally, Truman?s Civil Rights policies, such as desegregation in the armed forces, proved effective, and caused a large amount of improvements. Some may argue that the status of African Americans after 1955 still lacked many equal-rights; but I believe that the Supreme Court undeniably improved the status of African Americans in the long run. ...read more.

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