Treatment of Black Americans

What was the experience of African Americans in the USA in the 1950s?

Life for African Americans in 1950s America depended on where they lived. Most southern states had some segregations laws, which meant black and white people had to use separate facilities.

What was life like for African Americans in the south in the 1950s?

In the south, strict segregation laws known as the 'Jim Crow' laws were enforced. This meant African Americans had to attend different schools to white children, use separate facilities in public areas, and were separated from white people on public transport.

What were the Jim Crow laws for for African Americans during the 1950s?

The 'Jim Crow' laws were introduced in a number of southern states to keep African Americans apart from white people. They were still in force after the Second World War.

What was life like for African Americans living in the north in the 1950s?

African Americans in the north of America faced 4 main issues:

• ❖ Racism and discrimination were common.
• ❖ Most African Americans lived in areas where there were no white people, they self-segregated, and they earned less.
• ❖ There was a higher rate of unemployment among African Americans.
• ❖ African Americans usually lived in the poorest areas.

Why didn't African Americans vote in the 1950s and 1960s?

In the 1950s, few African Americans living in the south were able to vote as state governments used 3 key methods to prevent them from registering:

• ❖ Violence was often threatened or used.
• ❖ They had to pay a poll tax, which few African Americans could afford.
• ❖ They had to pass a literacy test which was deliberately made very difficult. White Americans did not have to take the literacy test.

Why didn't the president help African Americans in the 1950s?

Congress and the president did not enforce civil rights because they sometimes needed support from southern politicians who were often racist. Many southern voters would also not support civil rights.

Why didn't the Supreme Court help African Americans in the 1950s?

There were 2 main reasons the Supreme Court did not ban segregation:

• ❖ The Supreme Court could have banned segregation but was heavily influenced by the views and opinions of its judges, many of whom were against civil rights.
• ❖ The Supreme Court had ruled in 1896 that separate facilities were allowed as long as they were equal. This was known as the Plessy v Ferguson case. It was used as a legal precedent when any civil rights groups tried to challenge segregation legally.