How Far Is It Accurate to Describe Black Americans as Second Class Citizens in the Years 1944-55?

After the struggle to free themselves of slavery had ended; African Americans began to settle into a new life within the rapidly changing country. Under the delusion of freedom, most believed that they would be treated fairly and of an equal status to that of the white Americans. However, racism and discrimination dominated, leaving many dreams crushed as the African Americans had to adjust to the harsh reality of what was to be their new beginning, as inferior second class citizens.

Deemed to be not worth of the same stature as a white American; they were placed into an extreme second class status, where they were oppressed in many ways. One such way was by taking their right to vote, and in effect stealing the equality that they believed had been attained after the abolishment of slavery.

The southern state government were not in favour of the huge transition from black slaves becoming people with equal rights, and thus, in an attempt to keep their superiority over the blacks, they set up different ways to prevent them from voting. African Americans were disenfranchised, by various obstacles, which ultimately led them to not being legible to vote.

Literacy tests were a major barrier for the black citizens, and were the culmination of racial discrimination. To be able to register to vote, you had to take a day off work, with or without your employer's permission. Any white employer who gave a black American that permission, or failed to fire that certain person, would face economic retaliation by the Citizens Council. This meant that any black American who wished to register would automatically lose their jobs, as their employer would be scared of losing their business.

Once a black citizen had achieved this, they would have to pass the biggest barrier yet; the literacy test itself. Alongside the test, there would be members of the Ku Klux Klan who would threaten or intimidate potential candidates. The tests were exceptionally hard and a pass for a black American who had never received higher education, would have been a miraculous feat. Furthermore, the judges on the panel would generally be biased and could pass a white American who had less of half correct, while failing a black American for one incorrect answer.

The Grandfather Clause was also placed into effect. It stated that you could vote only if your grandfather had voted. Since there were no blacks who had previously voted, there was no way for any black voter to fulfil that clause, therefore they were prevented from voting.

Moreover, due to the Jim Crow laws and the fact that the southern states were primarily controlled by the Democrats, there was almost no political voice for black Americans. This altogether was another push towards oppression and a sense of lower class, on the sole basis of the pigment of their skin.

On the other hand, during and after the 2nd World War, the President was given a greater role and thus more power, due to his role in foreign policies. This meant that the states may have to follow the federal government, due to the increase in power, which would in effect mean that equality was in closer range.

Another major factor which iterates the degree, in which they were classed as an inferior race, was the social segregation that remained within the country. Although the black Americans had attained a freedom of sorts it was not up to their expectations. Not much more than a decade after they had become independent of their slavery; the Jim Crow laws were placed into effect. These laws followed the ideals of 'separate but equal', in effect segregating the African Americans with the whites. It completely opposed the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. Nevertheless, the liberty that the states empowered themselves with, meant that they too, had their own

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