To what extent were African Americans treated as second-class citizens in the states between 1940 and 1946?

by jeimuzu (student)

To what extent were African Americans treated as “second-class citizens” in the states between 1940 and 1946?

In this essay, I will discuss the extent to which African Americans were treated as second-class citizens in the period of 1940 to 1946. I will analyse the political, social and economic factors in the north and south of the USA during this time that caused African Americans to be cited as second-class citizens.

A second-class citizen is a person who is discriminated against, despite being a citizen or legal resident of the country they reside in. They have restricted legal and civil rights, and are usually subject to the effects of segregation and disenfranchisement.

Before World War Two, in the south, only 2% of the black population voted in the election. After the war, this increased to 15%. The war opened up the eyes of both black and white people alike, that the war on discrimination they had fought and won in Europe, had not been won at home. Men and women saw the heroic feats of black soldiers in the war, and noticed that they had the same patriotism and dedication as the white soldiers. In turn, this caused people to become more open to the idea that black people were not subhuman, but equal citizens fighting for their liberty. This indicates that African Americans faced less discrimination at home, and that they were no longer viewed as second-class citizens by those at home. However, the Jim Crow laws put a poll tax in place, of $16.50, that many black people could not afford due to the high rate of unemployment within their population. This limited the political influence that African Americans had, even though they had gained more rights. Another factor impacting the political power of black people in the south was that many states issued a “literacy test” that African Americans had to complete and answer correctly to earn the right to vote. The questions on the test were often impossible to answer, intentionally, so that the black population could not vote and have their say in the political world. This shows us that many of the authoritative figures of the southern states were still racist, and had no intention to let “second-class citizens” have the vote.

In the North, conditions were mostly the same, and even if the individual could vote, it was not certain that sympathetic representatives would be elected. In 1945, only 2 African Americans were elected to congress, William Dawson and Adam Powell. This shows that the opinion of African Americans was not equally represented in government, and that no significant change could truly be made by voting, even in the improving conditions of the northern states.

Socially, in the south, African Americans continued to receive the unfair treatment they always had. The Jim Crow laws declared that society may be “separate ...

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Socially, in the south, African Americans continued to receive the unfair treatment they always had. The Jim Crow laws declared that society may be “separate but equal”. Segregation stood firmly in place with no indication that it would be dealt with. Basic facilities and amenities such as restaurants and cinemas banned black people from entering and using their features. Even after this, the segregated places such as schools and hospitals often had less money spent on them in black areas. If a white man was on the pavement and there was only room for one, the black man had to move off the pavement and allow the white pass with ease. Authorities in the south also tended to spend more money on the white Also, 40% of black housing in Washington DC was substandard, whereas only 12% of white housing fell into this category. This indicates the great difference in the wealth of each race, and that African Americans may have been segregated into one area of a city where housing was of lower quality than other areas. In fact, on September the 11th, 1941, 100 African American houses were demolished to make room for the US Government's Pentagon building, by the US Army. This shows a disregard for the opinion and well-being of black people between 1940 and 1946.

In the north, however, there was not much segregation. Black and white men and women lived together with almost no disturbances. This allowed the different races and cultures to mix, creating an understanding between them that was not found in the south, due to the lack of willingness to embrace other ways of life. An understanding of eachother meant that there were very few issues between the two races. However, black people still tended to be poorer than white people, so they could not afford the same quality of services that white people had access to. Therefore, the quality of life of African Americans was poorer, regardless of whether they were allowed to use the facilities available to them or not as it was sometimes impossible for them to afford what was offered.

On June 25th 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President of the United States, created the Fair Employment Practices Commission (FEPC for short) by signing Executive Order 8802. This meant that industries contracted by the Government had to employ without discrimination. While this was a step in the right direction, it had many flaws. White workers within these industries still often picked on and abused black workers, and there was a constant tension within the buildings between the two races, and sometimes even hate strikes in contest to having to work with another race. Southern states decreased their funding to the FEPC, so it was not enforced as well in the more racist, southern areas of the country. Also, the contacts became void after the end of World War Two, so industries could continue to employ discriminatingly without fear of being subject tot he punishment of the FEPC. It was not until 1948 that the FEPC was enacted into law, as well as the abolition of poll tax and lynching.

Following the war, the GI Bill of 1944 gave all veterans a range of benefits when they returned home. These included loans and payment of tuition fees. This allowed many African American veterans to be able to afford higher education for the first time, giving them more economic opportunities and could lead to the training of black politicians and lawyers that could campaign for black rights and defend the rights of African American citizens. It also meant that a higher percentage of black people were becoming middle class. Unfortunately, the quality of education still varied from state to state, and black people may still be given the “bad end of the stick”. While it was a step forward, it was limited by the fact that the leaders of colleges and schools still decided what would be taught, and how it would be assessed.

In Virginia, a southern state, there was a ruling that African American teachers must have equal salary to that of a white person. This shows us that there was progress being made to workplace equality, and that African Americans were no longer seen as “second-class citizens” in all cases.

In conclusion, despite black citizens being given some form of education, housing and an opportunity to vote, these were all severely restricted in most cases; for the most part in the Southern states. Education was of varying quality, as was housing. While black people did gain more of a right to vote, they were still limited by poll tax and literacy tests. To an extent, black people appeared to be “second-class citizens”, though their conditions certainly and noticeably improved between 1940 and 1946. They were mostly restrained by social attitudes towards people of other ethnicities than white, and the unwillingness to to accept African Americans as members of society. Black citizens of the USA were still, overall, more second-class than first-class by a long way, and conditions did not notably improve until much later.

James Lodge