Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Mary McLeod and the National Youth Administration, p. 191-214

  • rose from poverty to become one of the nation's most distinguished African American leader
  • 3 careers: 1) educator, 2) architect of Florida's Bethune Cookman College, 3) headed the National Council Of Negro Women
  • part of the black cabinet for Franklin Delano Roosevelt
  • part of the New Deal agency
  • Other important advisors: 1) Frank Thune-Housing Specialist, 2) William Hastie-Assistant to the Secretary of war, 3) Robert Weaver- advised on housing and labor, became head of Housing and Urban Development later.
  • Weaver-most durable, Hastie resigned because of the military's discrimination, 
  • New Deal, first time since Reconstruction that black equality was promoted
  • the Fair Employment Practices Act was passed
  • the National Youth Administration: Wanted equal black participation
  • New Deal, Second Reconstruction
  • Roosevelt would not support anti-lynching legislation
  • New Deal legislation encouraged racial separation
  • Bethune did not demand a de-segregated society
  • McLeod wanted more blacks to be appointed to state posts
  • her organization prepared blacks for high skill, high wage labor
  • her approach did not offend Southern whites
  • She believed the NYA should overturn Southern administration decisions
  • Bethune put forth a subdued approach consciously
  • Sadler and Bethune were the most powerful members of the bureaucracy
  • Sadler was more bold, Bethune was more secretive
  • Sadler questioned the Roosevelt's position on desegregation
  • Bethune was more pragmatic, believed Negroes must receive separate but equal consideration
  • Southern teacher's salaries for black and white schools should be the same, Southerners would have to integrate
  • failure: did not apply federal standards of equality to the state level often enough
  • Southerners would not allow blacks to head integrated work projects
  • black funding of local advisory boards gave blacks power in the selection of board members
  • black economic, political, and population size had strengthened by the time of the New Deal
  • black salaries for directors were low
  • Bethune approved discriminatory salaries for black state directors,
  • black interests could not be represented by white administrators
  • state and local officials were not corresponding on a regular basis
  • Bethune, director that cared about black's opportunities

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