How far is it accurate to describe black Americans as second class citizens in the years 1945-55?
The years 1945-55 could be seen as a time of significant change for black African Americans. Such as segregated schools abolished. Truman also fuelled some positive changes. However equally these changes might not be as big compared to the negative events that happened. Such as the attack on Emmet Till and returning black service men.
It could be argued that in the years 1945-55 Blacks were treated as second class citizens. This can be seen in the fact that De facto segregation still existed in the north. Blacks suffered De facto segregation in many aspects of their life. In the north black policemen were a rarity. This was because whites in the north feared that if they had black police men they would be too lenient on their own. White policemen were employed in black ghettos in the north. They were often very brutal and violent towards blacks. The blacks suffered beatings for crimes off white policemen. Blacks were still punished harsher than the whites. De facto segregation in the north also affected housing. Whites didn’t like living near blacks. When whites sold their houses many refused to sell to blacks. Those that did sell their homes to blacks often charged far higher prices than they would to their white counterparts. Many blacks lived together away from the whites in ghettos. Black struggled to find affordable housing. Whites often charged blacks much higher prices than whites. Blacks struggled to afford housing costs because they were so expensive. It was also because of the inequalities surrounding work.
Blacks in the north still had lower jobs than whites throughout the period 1945-55. Blacks were often paid less than a white doing the same job. Higher Jobs such as teaching and doctors was still a rare profession for