Slavery and Race in the USA - Essay Example

Running Head: Slavery and race in the USA Compare and contrast the impact of the two World Wars on the position of AfricanAmericans By ________________________ World War I Racism during the First World War was influenced by the Southern perception of ethnic minorities among which African Americans were considered as ignorant personalities and race was not a concern for them. However the concept of 'racial division' was the inventory of the South due to the reason that most Southern states even before the World War had passed laws governing race and social interaction, so the thinking of the South towards 'Negroes' was pessimistic. (Kelly & Lewis, 2000, p. 363) It was in World War I that blacks' population captured a great extent of urban areas thereby influencing their culture and politics. Just after the occurrence of World War I blacks in the field of sports, arts and music started flourishing. 'Racism' started its origin from the field of sports when baseball distinguished between two teams, 'blacks' and 'whites'. The teams used to show sense of honour when the communities to which they represented, win. It was due to the separate block of black institutions that caused feelings of a separate 'race' among black Americans. Kelly & Lewis (2000) writes that it was the utmost efforts of those segregated institutions to exclude black community from every walk of American life including education, jobs, civil services etc. Even the situation got worse when in many cases it was observed that African Americans started paying heavy taxes and duties in order to acquire public facilities which were free of cost for Americans, hence the Great War was an eye opening occurrence for blacks, after which they realised to be a separate identity from that of whites, and that whites never accepted them. The main reason was the 'stamp' of slavery on blacks, for which the whites still considered them as slaves. Democratic America World War I where on one hand infused the spirit of 'democracy' among African Americans, on the other hand it remain failed to cope up with the segregated units, which started building among blacks and whites. Blacks possessed the view, which negated the presence of any skin colour, so they expected whites to behave with them in accordance with equality and justice. Hence the new understanding of social relations of the world war rights era authorised African Americans thereby giving new dimensions of race, class and ethnicity. Worst situations were created after Afro- Americans started getting urbanised. After the new perception which whites taught the blacks, blacks considered white Americans to be their worst opponents, which would never turn into their allies. The main reason behind such attitude was the experience of blacks which majority acquired. Collins (2004) writes that blacks were directly or indirectly affected by the racial discrimination identified by whites. World War I infused a new seed of hatred that strengthened the bond of 'racial discrimination' among the whites and blacks. In 1930s racial discrimination went on its peak after blacks joined umpteen gangs who used to create violence among those areas influenced by whites' majority. According to Collins (2004) 1 "African Americans were often accused of the crime of raping White women which resulted in lynching". (Collins, 2004, p. 222) Such violent acts gave rise to many civil rights organisations like NAACP (National Association for Advancement of Colored People) and National Urban League, which worked, for the rights of black communities. Harlem Renaissance Among the major problems created by World War was the urbanisation of African Americans due to the isolation they were confronted to. This isolation created classes among various black groups. The whites already did the segregation, now the rest of the task was carried out by black ghettos. Urbanisation increased the emergence of a gay, lesbian, and bisexual presence within urban African American communities. (Collins, 2004, p. 73) The emergence of Harlem Renaissance had three purposes. Firstly, to infuse a spirit of unity and equality among the African Americans. This involved the alleviation of cast system and in order to eliminate further segregation among the blacks. Secondly, to able to stand in front of the whites and that with dignity and honour and to regain the lost pride being African Americans. This was the notion for which the whole black community got united irrespective of further class and race distinctions. Thirdly, to utilise the time and efforts of every single African American as it was noticed that majority of them started engaging in violent acts and criminal activities against whites. Harlem Renaissance united artists, writers and actors particularly from middle class to awake those African Americans, who lost in the crowd of segregation. The main purpose was to acknowledge their presence in various aspects concerning law and order and other rights for which the blacks were deprived of by the whites. World war I where provided limited job opportunities for blacks on one hand, on the other it provided a sense of consciousness in African Americans particularly after the exposure of 'Harlem Renaissance'. For those who were not able to express their anger as 'gangsters', involved in the production of literary work. Wynn & Homes (1993) writes in this context as 2 "Urbanisation, a degree of prosperity, wider educational opportunities and the post-war mood enabled a circle of black writers, centred in Harlem, to reach a wide audience of America". (Wynn & Homes, 1993, p. 90) World War II World war II was much distinct in impact from World War I both from economic, social and political views. African Americans were able to acquire their lost identity to an extent, which enabled them to participate in every walk of life. From military to official jobs, they were able to acquire almost everything from whites, and most of the credit was given to 'Harlem Renaissance', which worked as a 'cold war'. However, this evoking of 'cold war' between the white and black communities on a large scale alleviated even the minute chance to grow and prosper together. World War II impacted in broking riots and assaults. Blacks were divided into classes of older and younger generation, those who favoured riots and those who don't. Despite the contribution African Americans presented in the military during World War II, the growing spirit of anger and pessimism infused disgust in the hearts of blacks for whites. World War I experience for the African Americans held them realise about a separate entity from that of whites. They were free to cling to the constitutional rights in order to express their sentiments about the pessimistic attitude adopted by the whites. Since World War II impacted more on men's life, gender differences took place. Blacks through their hard work and devotion in armed forces acknowledged their importance for democracy. According to 2007a, 3 "The second world war was followed by the serving of more than seven hundred thousand African Americans". (2007a) Such a devotion of African American soldiers led them to the threshold of expectations after which they were superior to many ethnic communities, that resulted in 'inequality' as despite the hard work as a labour force, black women's were never offered the same level jobs and facilities as men. According to Paul & Parsons, (1995) 4 "Women were in the factories for the duration only, and even that was not on an equal footing with the men who often worked by their side. While rights to free expression were protected, 120,000 men, women, and children (two-thirds of whom were American citizens) were put behind barbed-wire fences in remote areas with little protection from heat or cold. Finally, pre-war socio-economic class remained a crucial determinant in the race for material goods in the post war world". (Paul & Parsons, 1995, p. 9) World War II distinguished African Americans on an economic basis, where segregation persisted while acquiring jobs and civil rights. Those who were part of the military services acquired a particular place, which distinguished them from the rest of African Americans. Similarly there were those two million African Americans (2007a) who found jobs in wartime industries were again confronted to segregation. Hence it would not be wrong to say that impact of Second World War resulted in the form of racial segregation on the basis of 'jobs'. World War I gained experience of 'migration' to the African Americans, which to most of them changed their visions and perceptions of leading lives. The most important year of migration was 1920 during which the number of 5 "African Americans leaving the former Confederate states fell from 749,000 between 1920 and 1930 to 400,000 in the thirties. In that sense, the movement of half a million blacks, (17 per cent of black Southerners as opposed to only 3 per cent of whites) during World War II was merely a resumption of the pre-Depression trends". (Wynn & Homes, 1993, p. 133) The end of the Second World War resulted in the freedom felt by the second generation, however contradictory to the First World War; it was not followed by a set of high hopes and expectations. Instead, it was realised and understood practically by African Americans that they would never be able to acquire the same importance, as that of white Americans. So all their efforts directed towards gaining individuality as 'Negroes'. All their efforts were towards acknowledgement of them as 'first class citizens'. References & Bibliography Collins Hill Patricia, (2004) Black Sexual Politics: African Americans, Gender, and the New Racism: Routledge: New York. Kelly D. G. Robin & Lewis, (2000) To Make Our World Anew: A History of African Americans: Oxford University Press: New York. Paul Kenneth O' Brien & Parsons Lynn, (1995) The Home-Front War: World War II and American Society: Greenwood Press: Westport, CT. Wynn A. Neil, Homes & Meyer, (1993) The Afro-American and the Second World War: New York. 2007a, Accessed from 2007b, Private Charles F. Wilson to F.D.R., May 9, 1944, in OASW 230, NARG 107; there are literally hundreds of such letters in 93; 12 and 93:9 FDRL, in OASW files 221, 230, NARG 107, and in NAACP files, box 279, Library of Congress In Wynn A. Neil, Homes & Meyer, (1993) The Afro-American and the Second World War: New York. End Notes Read More