African Americans In The 20th Century

The 20th century was a time filled with much racial tension between blacks and whites in the United States. Slavery had already ended in the 1800’s by the Emancipation Proclamation, but blacks were still treated unfairly by their white counterparts. From 1940-1968 blacks went through much turmoil and hardship trying to fight for the many rights they had been denied, such as voting rights and basic civil rights. This time period was extremely difficult for blacks, lives were lost and many people were injured in the fight for civil rights. The black community did not allow these deaths to be taken in vain, many civil rights leaders and other influential figures arose to fight for the cause that their fellow activist fought for. All the events
Things had not changed and they were still faced with discrimination and violence against them. In February 1946 black army sergeant Isaac Woodard boarded a bus in full uniform in Augusta, Georgia. During one of the bus stops he asked the driver if he could use the restroom, the driver cursed at Woodard and said no. Woodard cursed back at the driver and demanded some respect. At the next stop Woodard was called off the bus where two police officers were waiting for him. Once off the bus Woodard tried to tell his side of what had happened, but one of the officers began to beat him in he head. They both then beat Woodard to the ground and plunged their nightsticks into his eyes. This caused Woodard to be left blinded for the rest of his life. This incident was mourned by blacks in their own communities and also by some whites alike. One white man named Orson Wells, who was a film director and radio personality, dedicated an entire show to the Isaac Woodard incident. He conveyed his disgust and condemned the officers that assaulted Woodard. At the time radio became very popular. Stations such as WDIA started to play black music and had black dj’s. These stations began to bring in all listeners from white to black. Radio was subconsciously breaking down the racial divide. Black stars started to also see success in the white world. People such as Jackie Robinson and Dorothy Dandridge became the 1st blacks in their fields to cross this divide. Paul Robeson, a successful black singer and actor used his fame to aid in the fight for civil rights. He went around the world speaking to audiences explaining the failure of the U.S. to fully acknowledge its black citizens. In 1951 Robeson went to the United Nations in sought of a plea claiming the crimes of the U.S. government against the negro people. His thinking was that only a communist revolution could solve the problem of racial