How far do you agree that the New Deal was the most significant strategy towards the Civil Rights Mo

The New Deal was a scheme devised by President Roosevelt to tackle the economic depression of 1929. Previously, in the 1890s, cases had gone through the Supreme Court to disenfranchise black Americans. They were unable to vote, faced violence through lynching and were segregated. The Alphabet Agencies aimed to improve the lives of those who were effected by the Depression.

However many of these did not help black Americans. An example of this is the AAA. In response to the problem of overproduction, President Roosevelt told farmers to halve produce in return for government. This move did not aid the Civil Rights movement as most blacks who lived in the South found that they had lost their jobs. They were known as the 'last to be hire and the first to be fired'.

One of the other hand, one Alphabet Agency such as the PWA assisted blacks massively by constructing schools and hospitals. This is significant when it comes to the Civil Rights because it ensured that their living conditions were improved and looked after their children who were the future generation.

However another alphabet agencies that discriminated against the blacks was the NRA. This was famously unfair such that is gained the nicknames 'Negroes Roasted Again'. Codes were implemented to ensure fair pay but companies would change these This did not help the Civil Rights as they were not paid fairly and thus seen as inferior.

Despite the NRA being an example of discrimination during the New Deal, many agencies reversed this stance. Many agencies were meant to be undiscriminatory but overlooked the blacks locally. However, due to the intervention of the NAACP in the TVA, the agency became more open to distributing aid to black Americans.

Despite the contribution to aid blacks, they still emerged from the New Deal with no vote. The proposed anti lynching bill pushed for by Eleanor Roosevelt was not passed and the New Deal had not ended segregation. None of which was significant in boosting Civil Rights Movement.

It can also be argued that the blacks only received aid because they were poor, rather than for Civil Rights reasons.

The NAACP was a significant movement that pushed for Civil Rights. It was founded by William DuBois and Ida B Wells, the latter of whom contributed massively towards Civil Rights due to her profession as a journalist. She was able to open the public's eyes to the injustice and gained more support.

However it can be argued that not every case would be taken up the them. The NAACP only took on the cases that they thought that they were going to win and for this reason, progress was slow.

It can also be said that the NAACP's most significant cases toward the Civil Rights Movements happened after 1945.

The Second World War was a significant factor towards the Civil Rights movement because it opened up more job opportunities for black Americans Employment in the industry rose from 30% to 90%. This resulted in a migration north.

In addition to this, the Double V campaign sprung up, advocating not only for victory in the War but victory in Civil Rights. this was highly significant because it led to FEPC and the signing of Executive Order 8802 by Roosevelt, signalling that there was be to fair and equal pay for blacks. This was the first thing that blacks were equal to whites in.

However, in contrast to this, the influx of blacks from the South to the North triggered racial tension, which erupted in race riots. The worst of these was in Detroit in 194, which saw 25 black people dead. this showed that for all the significant advancements so far, there was still racial prejudice in the North.

Despite the negative factors, membership to the NAACP rose from 50,000 to peak at 450,000. This demonstrated a rise in confidence with regards to Civil Rights that would come into fruition in the future.

The black Americans who fought in the War were no longer segregated to only stewards and were allowed to see direct action. Coming to Europe also helped the Civil Rights because the soldiers were treated better than in America, which contributed to their rise in confidence towards the Civil rights.

ON the other hand, whilst they were in the army, there was still strict segregation. Blacks could not be treated by white nurses, receive blood form a white person or even sit in the same plane.

However, with all the attention on the War, the blacks were unable to get the right to vote, ban lynching or even end segregation, all of which did not help the Civil Rights.

In my opinion, I think that the New Deal aided blacks Americans but did not prove a significant strategy towards the Civil Rights Movement. I think that this is the case because I think that they only received help for being poor taher than to help the Civil Rights movement.

In addition to this, I think that although the NAACP helped to change the racist practise of one of the alphabet agencies, it was still only one. There were still agencies that did not help blacks even though they were meant to at a national level. I think it is significant that one the authority for the agencies were in the hands of the top white Americans to distribute blacks Americas would very much be bottom of the pile as far as aid was concerned.

Although the Second World War itself was not a strategy, I think that it contributed massively to the Civil Rights Movement. The signing of the Executive Order 8802 was hugely significant as it demonstrated that even though they could not vote, they were on step closer to being seen as citizens as equal pay demonstrated that they were not inferior. Also Roosevelt listening showed how much the government needed them.

It is signification that the confidence in Civil Rights grew because it would lead to challenging segregation int he future.

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