7th-1930s+Status+of+African+Americans

Segregation The 1930's were a violent time for America. Despite the weakening of such organizations as the Ku Klux Klan, racism was a major issue in the Southern states. Due to African Americans being the poorest race in the community they were not able to raise funds for the school. Most African Americans were not represented in the school board which unable for them to get more money for the schools. The African Americans average school tuition was $15 per year. In 1930 the last mob murder of African American occurred but the blacks still feared the whites. Segregation ended in 1941. In the Northern States many programs gave African Americans opportunities they had often lacked in the past. The Great Depresion The Great Depression was the most devastating economic problem. It affected African Americans more than any other group of Americans. African Americans suffered during the Great Depression because of racial discrimination. African Americans became jobless during the Great Depression because worked at jobs and industries closely related to economic cycles, “the last hired and first fired". The white school boards were willing to pay funds for the black schools more than before the depression. Even thought a lot of African Americans were jobless so were some of the white Americans and the White Americans believe that if white Americans are out of job then all African Americans should be jobless. So that led to whites moving African Americans out of jobs so Whites would havee a job. This made African Americans experience The Great Depression worst than the White American.

Langston Hughes  in Joplin, Missouri. W hen he was a child his parents split up and he lived with his grandmother, when his mother remarried he went to live with her and went to high school. Hughes wrote his first verse and was named class poet of his eighth grade class. His writing talent was recognized by his high school teachers and classmates.Hughes first pieces of verse was published in the Central High Monthly which was a sophisticated school magazine.Soon Hughes was on the staff and where publishing regularly. After he graduated from high school he visited his father in Mexico to convince him to pay for tuition for Hughes to attend Columbia University in New York City. A little than a year later after he graduated from high school, he entered Columbia University in the fall of 1921. Langston Hughes only stayed in Columbia University for a year. After Hughes became part of art scenes in Harlam.

Scottsboro Boys​ On March 25, 1931 a fight broke out between some white and black boys and the white boys were put off the train, the nine unemployed young black men remained on the train. While on their way to look for work were accused of raping two white women, Ruby Bates and Victoria Prince on the train. This incident between the 2 white women and nine boys were known as the Scottsboro Boys. Within two weeks of the incident the Scottsboro Boys were convicted by an all white jury, 8 boys were sentenced to death and the youngest at age 13 was sentenced to life in prison. They started a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and joined the Communist Party and other civil right organizations to form the Scottsboro Defense Committee. Eventually Ruby Bates, one of the white women came forward and announced that she and price was pressured into falsely accusing the Scottsboro Boys and she became part of the campaign to save the Scottsboro’s lives. The Scottsboro’s case went to the United States Supreme Court in 1937 and the lives of the nine were saved, even though it was almost 20 years before the last defendant was freed from prison.

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