Disadvantages of African Americans
African Americans were among the numerous groups disadvantaged by the New Deal. This is because many of the programs and acts enacted during this period were focused on improving the quality of life for certain groups of individuals, and in turn took away many of the opportunities that African Americans previously had. In particular, the Agricultural Adjustment Act, the Social Security Act, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the National Industrial Recovery Act brought upon the majority of the disadvantages that the African American community suffered from. Due to the fact that these specific acts and programs took away many opportunities from African Americans, it is important to take a look at them individually.
Agricultural Adjustment Act
To begin with, consider the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) of 1933, which raised the value of crops by cutting down production and reducing surplus. In order to do this, farmers were paid subsidies to not plant on parts of their land, as well as destroy any excess crops. For farmers who owned their land, this may not have seemed like a bad deal. However, take into consideration that the majority of African Americans were sharecroppers, and did not own the land that they farmed on. Sharecropping is where a landowner allows a tenant to use part of their land in return for a percentage of the crop produced by the tenant on that land. Therefore, it is simple to see just how the Agricultural Adjustment Act put African Americans at a disadvantage. If landowners were being paid to not produce crops on their land, this puts thousands of sharecroppers, whose income is the crops grown on that land, out of work and out of money. On top of this problem, the many African Americans who lived in poverty, especially those who lost their sharecropping jobs, were now forced to pay a higher price for crops. To give a better idea of this, consider a passage from the Magazine of Social Interpretation:
Just a word about the AAA. While this may have been a wise emergency measure to rescue the farmers from a
collapsed market, it was never of any substantial benefit to the southern tenant. In many cases the farm owner, in
reducing his acreage, simply turned off surplus tenants, who thus exchanged a previous miserable subsistence for
future starvation or government relief. Where the tenants were supposed to receive a part of the government
compensation, the "boss and slave" tradition again came into play. The recompense to the tenant was often simply
"credited to his account" by the landlord who pocketed the cash. Harrison County, Texas, perfected a system, widely
used throughout the South, whereby tenants endorsed their checks over to the company store by blindly signing the
blank backs of the checks under instructions from the landlord or storekeeper that "the government wants you all
sign these here crop reduction contracts.
This paragraph basically sums up all the damage that this act brought upon the African American community. Many of the sharecroppers were simply kicked off the land and left to live in poverty. However, this excerpt mentions something very important. The landowner was supposed to share the government subsidies given to them with the tenant. However, as this paragraph stated, landowners kept the money for themselves, and in some situations, such as that in Harrison County, they tricked the tenants into giving the money back to the landowner. It is perfectly clear as to how the Agricultural Adjustment Act damaged the quality of life of African Americans. It is almost as if this Act was purposely enacted to leave African Americans with fewer opportunities than before. (1)
Just a word about the AAA. While this may have been a wise emergency measure to rescue the farmers from a
collapsed market, it was never of any substantial benefit to the southern tenant. In many cases the farm owner, in
reducing his acreage, simply turned off surplus tenants, who thus exchanged a previous miserable subsistence for
future starvation or government relief. Where the tenants were supposed to receive a part of the government
compensation, the "boss and slave" tradition again came into play. The recompense to the tenant was often simply
"credited to his account" by the landlord who pocketed the cash. Harrison County, Texas, perfected a system, widely
used throughout the South, whereby tenants endorsed their checks over to the company store by blindly signing the
blank backs of the checks under instructions from the landlord or storekeeper that "the government wants you all
sign these here crop reduction contracts.
This paragraph basically sums up all the damage that this act brought upon the African American community. Many of the sharecroppers were simply kicked off the land and left to live in poverty. However, this excerpt mentions something very important. The landowner was supposed to share the government subsidies given to them with the tenant. However, as this paragraph stated, landowners kept the money for themselves, and in some situations, such as that in Harrison County, they tricked the tenants into giving the money back to the landowner. It is perfectly clear as to how the Agricultural Adjustment Act damaged the quality of life of African Americans. It is almost as if this Act was purposely enacted to leave African Americans with fewer opportunities than before. (1)
National Industrial Recovery Act
Another Act that left African Americans with fewer opportunities was the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA). This act was enacted on June 1933, and just like the AAA, its purpose was to aid in the nation’s economic recovery. In short, the National Industrial Recovery Act established a system of self-regulation in business, in which codes were created to set standards for working conditions, prices, wages, and production. The National Recovery Administration was created in order to work with business leaders to draw up these specific codes that were to be set in place. The idea behind this was to put an end to the harsh competition between companies that were trying to drive one another out of business. On top of this, one section in the National Industrial Recovery Act acknowledged worker’s right to form unions. This was section 7a, and it is one of the major causes for the disadvantages posed on African Americans through this Act. The section is as follows:
Sec. 7. (a) Every code of fair competition, agreement, and license approved, prescribed, or issued under this title shall
contain the following conditions: (1) That employees shall have the right to organize and bargain collectively through
representatives of their own choosing, and shall be free from the interference, restraint, or coercion of employers of
labor, or their agency, in the designation of such representatives or in self-organization or in other concerted
activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection; (2) that no employee and no one
seeking employment shall be required as a condition of employment to join any company union or to refrain from
joining, organizing, or assisting a labor organization of his own choosing; and (3) that employers shall comply with the
maximum hours of labor, minimum rates of pay, and other conditions of employment, approved or prescribed by the
President.
As you can see, this section clearly gave workers the right to form unions. At first glance, this act seems like a productive way to aid in economic recovery as well as create peace between employers and workers. However, the major problem lies in the fact that the formation of unions caused many African Americans to be discriminated against in the workforce. To help one see this better, consider a passage from the Journal of Negro Life:
Except in a few isolated cases, Negroes are not being included in any considerable numbers either in the
controversial aspects of this new birth or by inclusion into peaceful membership of the various labor unions. While
Section 7 A has greatly increased the security of labor in general; in so far as the different labor organizations thus
benefited deny and exclude Negroes from their membership by constitutions or rituals, the position of Negro labor
has been made less favorable. It was the intention of the government in passing this legislation on behalf of labor to
benefit all workers. On account of the unsportsmanlike and anti-social attitude of the majority of the membership
and heads of many of the unions and crafts, the position of Negroes has been made even more disadvantageous.
Basically, African Americans were being discriminated against due to their race, and as a result were put at a greater disadvantage than they were already at before the NIRA was enacted. Essentially this act created a member’s only club in the workforce, and African Americans were deemed undesirable. The reality of this is that many people already had the incentive to exclude African Americans, and this clearly made it possible to do so. Aside from the discrimination due to unions, African Americans were also unable to find employment. This was due to the fact that employers did not see African Americans to be worth the minimum wage that they were now forced to pay to employees. The truth behind this act is that it was extremely disadvantageous for African American’s. In summary, this act created a greater extent of African American discrimination in the workforce. Once again, if one takes a closer look into the consequences of these Acts, it becomes hard to believe that these New Deal programs were not purposely created to lessen the opportunities of African Americans.
(2)
Sec. 7. (a) Every code of fair competition, agreement, and license approved, prescribed, or issued under this title shall
contain the following conditions: (1) That employees shall have the right to organize and bargain collectively through
representatives of their own choosing, and shall be free from the interference, restraint, or coercion of employers of
labor, or their agency, in the designation of such representatives or in self-organization or in other concerted
activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection; (2) that no employee and no one
seeking employment shall be required as a condition of employment to join any company union or to refrain from
joining, organizing, or assisting a labor organization of his own choosing; and (3) that employers shall comply with the
maximum hours of labor, minimum rates of pay, and other conditions of employment, approved or prescribed by the
President.
As you can see, this section clearly gave workers the right to form unions. At first glance, this act seems like a productive way to aid in economic recovery as well as create peace between employers and workers. However, the major problem lies in the fact that the formation of unions caused many African Americans to be discriminated against in the workforce. To help one see this better, consider a passage from the Journal of Negro Life:
Except in a few isolated cases, Negroes are not being included in any considerable numbers either in the
controversial aspects of this new birth or by inclusion into peaceful membership of the various labor unions. While
Section 7 A has greatly increased the security of labor in general; in so far as the different labor organizations thus
benefited deny and exclude Negroes from their membership by constitutions or rituals, the position of Negro labor
has been made less favorable. It was the intention of the government in passing this legislation on behalf of labor to
benefit all workers. On account of the unsportsmanlike and anti-social attitude of the majority of the membership
and heads of many of the unions and crafts, the position of Negroes has been made even more disadvantageous.
Basically, African Americans were being discriminated against due to their race, and as a result were put at a greater disadvantage than they were already at before the NIRA was enacted. Essentially this act created a member’s only club in the workforce, and African Americans were deemed undesirable. The reality of this is that many people already had the incentive to exclude African Americans, and this clearly made it possible to do so. Aside from the discrimination due to unions, African Americans were also unable to find employment. This was due to the fact that employers did not see African Americans to be worth the minimum wage that they were now forced to pay to employees. The truth behind this act is that it was extremely disadvantageous for African American’s. In summary, this act created a greater extent of African American discrimination in the workforce. Once again, if one takes a closer look into the consequences of these Acts, it becomes hard to believe that these New Deal programs were not purposely created to lessen the opportunities of African Americans.
(2)
Tennessee valley authority
The New Deal developed an organization called the Tennessee Valley Authority, which began in the year 1933. Congress established it in order to create a Tennessee River System. This system would make navigation easier, ensure flood control, national defense and it would also bring electricity to the area. The main purpose of this project was to modernize the area where the Tennessee River passed through. The Great Depression had a very strong impact in this rural area of America. The TVA was supposed to help people live better lives than the ones they were faced with. One of the goals of the TVA was to help restore the land. They taught farmers how to improve the soil so they can start growing more crops. With fertilization and electricity being brought to this area, it also brought many opportunities for labor. This project was going to take the help of as many people as they could get so the outcomes would be better. However, not many African Americans were taken into consideration. The majority of the people employed were white men. According to The TVA and Race Problem article, out of all the people employed only 1.9 percent of them were African American.
When the workers were hired, the TVA authorities claimed they hired people from different ethnicities equally.
These claims were not true becomes they found it easier to only hire White people. For example, Cranston Clayton
states, they claim that building separate dormitories and accommodations for the few Negro laborers representing
the small Negro population around Norris would be so expensive as to materially advance the price of the electric
power to be sold by the TVA and would thereby prevent the providing of a true "yardstick" to be used on public
utilities throughout the nation.
When these men were hired to perform certain tasks, they chose to only acknowledge White people. The reason being was because Whites and colored men would not get along so well. African Americans were placed in different dormitories to rest after their shifts were over. TVA authorities found it more expensive to accommodate African Americans by giving them their own place to sleep. They wanted to be isolated from White people because they were not accepted as equals. TVA authorities found it easier to eliminate this problem by not letting any colored people participate in the construction of the Norris Dam. The new projects the TVA brought were supposed to bring labor to African Americans as well. As we find out, they were at a disadvantage because little or no colored men were allowed to work on certain jobs. Another reason why African Americans did not participate in the projects of the TVA was because White people led them to believe the projects were only meant to benefit the white man.
African Americans were being discriminated by not being given the same equal opportunity. The goal of the TVA was to restore the lives of the people around the Tennessee River, and there is no reason why colored people should be neglected. Even though African Americans were not involved in all the projects the TVA brought to the community, they were also excluded from other activities. The TVA was supposed to train everyone so the community would obtain knowledge of how they should be harvesting. Men were supposed to be taught how to work with wood and metal. Women were supposed to be taught better planning and managing strategies. However, colored people were not included in any of these trainings. They were not given the same privilege to learn how to better themselves. In "The TVA and Race Problem," the article states, “from all this the Negro, as desperately as he needs training, is to be absolutely excluded.” The TVA seems to only benefit the White community since they are the only ones being given jobs and training. African Americans, as much as they want to be a part of this project, cannot because of racial discrimination. As one can tell, the TVA did not completely benefit everyone because African Americans were kept out of the loop. The Social Security Act also left African Americans at a disadvantaged (6).
When the workers were hired, the TVA authorities claimed they hired people from different ethnicities equally.
These claims were not true becomes they found it easier to only hire White people. For example, Cranston Clayton
states, they claim that building separate dormitories and accommodations for the few Negro laborers representing
the small Negro population around Norris would be so expensive as to materially advance the price of the electric
power to be sold by the TVA and would thereby prevent the providing of a true "yardstick" to be used on public
utilities throughout the nation.
When these men were hired to perform certain tasks, they chose to only acknowledge White people. The reason being was because Whites and colored men would not get along so well. African Americans were placed in different dormitories to rest after their shifts were over. TVA authorities found it more expensive to accommodate African Americans by giving them their own place to sleep. They wanted to be isolated from White people because they were not accepted as equals. TVA authorities found it easier to eliminate this problem by not letting any colored people participate in the construction of the Norris Dam. The new projects the TVA brought were supposed to bring labor to African Americans as well. As we find out, they were at a disadvantage because little or no colored men were allowed to work on certain jobs. Another reason why African Americans did not participate in the projects of the TVA was because White people led them to believe the projects were only meant to benefit the white man.
African Americans were being discriminated by not being given the same equal opportunity. The goal of the TVA was to restore the lives of the people around the Tennessee River, and there is no reason why colored people should be neglected. Even though African Americans were not involved in all the projects the TVA brought to the community, they were also excluded from other activities. The TVA was supposed to train everyone so the community would obtain knowledge of how they should be harvesting. Men were supposed to be taught how to work with wood and metal. Women were supposed to be taught better planning and managing strategies. However, colored people were not included in any of these trainings. They were not given the same privilege to learn how to better themselves. In "The TVA and Race Problem," the article states, “from all this the Negro, as desperately as he needs training, is to be absolutely excluded.” The TVA seems to only benefit the White community since they are the only ones being given jobs and training. African Americans, as much as they want to be a part of this project, cannot because of racial discrimination. As one can tell, the TVA did not completely benefit everyone because African Americans were kept out of the loop. The Social Security Act also left African Americans at a disadvantaged (6).
social security act
The New Deal was the starting point of social security with the Social Security Act of 1935. Its purpose was to bring security to the American people. The main focus of social security was old age pension, unemployment benefits, aid to children and the handicapped. The whole nation was excited to hear what President Roosevelt was proposing to them. People normally would not save money for when they were incapable of working anymore. Therefore, knowing that once they reached a certain age they would receive benefits from the government that would help them with certain expenses. Unfortunately, people like African Americans did not completely benefit from this proposition. Social security was only meant to cover people who sustained a job in commerce or industry. Many African Americans held jobs at farms. They sustained agricultural jobs, which unfortunately excluded them from the benefits of social security. Neither agricultural nor domestic workers were able to receive coverage due to their job position. African Americans have been continuously underprivileged since the time of their enslavement. Throughout the years they have slowly gained a little more freedom. Nonetheless, there were still a couple things the government had to work on to ensure equal opportunity to all people (7).