Urban life was hard, and there were many economic and social problems. African Americans in many cities suffered from unemployment, substandard housing and poor schools. In the jobs they had, many times they were kept from advancement because of racial discrimination. Any time a black man was promoted, it was considered a stolen advancement from a white man. Lunch counters and buses were segregated and all blacks were treated like second-class citizens. Even in real estate there was prejudice. It was later proven in the 60's that different real estate companies played a role in keeping African Americans out of white suburbs. This played a big role in trapping African Americans in the urban ghettos of America. Racism and inequality wasn't a hidden secret either, it was an obvious part of everyday life for African Americans in the 50's both in cities and in the rural areas.

The problems of the urban ghettos ranged far and wide: There was growing drug use and low-income housing, frequent fighting and of course, prejudice, which was prominent among many whites. Such people believed that all of the African Americans who were moving to urban areas were coming to the wrong place. Many whites claimed cities as their own, and they wanted to keep them that way. However, though the African American migration to urban America wasn't their ideal solution because of this discrimination, it was what was they needed to do in order to survive in a culture that not only didn't except them, but also worked against them.

Even though there were few positive portrayals of African Americans in primetime television, that sure didn't mean that they didn't exist! African Americans were and still are very talented in the performing arts. With natural talent that can be traced back to Africa, they filled the streets of urban America with every kind of talent imaginable. They tap danced on the sides of the streets hoping to get a little money. They showed magic tricks to passers-by and had jam sessions with guitars, saxophones and vocals. The African American urban culture was poor but it sure did have talent! Many just never made it off their feet, because the industry didn't support black performers. They didn't support them for many reasons. One was that if a particular theater had black artists, many whites wouldn't go for that very reason. It's also even arguable that the entire industry was set up so that it was extremely hard for anyone to enter the industry, especially African Americans. Nonetheless they continued to find ways to perform, most often amongst themselves in different urban areas.

Even though there were few positive portrayals of African Americans in primetime television, that sure didn't mean that they didn't exist! African Americans were and still are very talented in the performing arts. With natural talent that can be traced back to Africa, they filled the streets of urban America with every kind of talent imaginable. They tap danced on the sides of the streets hoping to get a little money. They showed magic tricks to passers-by and had jam sessions with guitars, saxophones and vocals. The African American urban culture was poor but it sure did have talent! Many just never made it off their feet, because the industry didn't support black performers. They didn't support them for many reasons. One was that if a particular theater had black artists, many whites wouldn't go for that very reason. It's also even arguable that the entire industry was set up so that it was extremely hard for anyone to enter the industry, especially African Americans. Nonetheless they continued to find ways to perform, most often amongst themselves in different urban areas.

With the ongoing organized and unorganized forms of racism in urban and rural America, changes were taking place. People could no longer stand to accept their roles as second-class citizens in a country whose founding principles were equality, freedom and justice. The Civil Rights movement was born off of the struggles of African Americans, both rural and urban. The ideas that sprang up throughout the country to fight the injustices came from the Deep South as well as the cities of the North. A huge advancement took place in the push for African American employment opportunities. Unions in urban areas and especially the CIO played an important role in making these advancements. The birth of the Civil Rights movement happened thanks to many different sacrifices and struggles by African Americans around the country. These people were not only the leaders of the movement, but they were also everyday people.

It was very clear to African Americans that one of the main reasons they were not being treated as equals in the US was because they did not have equal protection under the law. Through protest, they were able to get this quickly changed. In 1950, the Supreme Court made the segregation of dinning cars on interstate railroads unconstitutional Brown vs. The Board of Education decision in 1954 was a turning point in the fight. The decision overturned the 1898 Plessy vs. Ferguson decision that had said that separate but equal facilities were acceptable. Under the leadership of Thurgood Marshal, a NAACP law team showed courts that separate was unquestionably unequal! This milestone eventually led the way to the integration of blacks and whites in all public places, including schools. In 1955 the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) declared that all segregation on interstate buses and trains must be eliminated by January in the following year. As the Civil Rights movement continued to grow and become more public, more and more court decisions were made. It was like an avalanche coming down a mountain, gathering more speed and greater mass.

Along with the huge Supreme Court decisions, many other improvements were happening. With the growing visibility of African Americans and their fight for equality, society was slowly changing their attitudes towards African Americans and their struggle in the 50s. It was soon possible to find support coming from whites and unity amongst blacks.

Looking back on this exciting and challenging time, there are many things to remember about African American life in the 1950s. First, there was the huge movement from rural to urban areas. Then there were the social challenges that both urban and rural African Americans faced. From blunt racism to structural racism, from racism in getting a job to how they were portrayed on television and through music, each one was its own obstacle. But these obstacles were slowly being overcome, mostly because of a collection of individuals devoted to changing their conditions and improving lives for others. The 50s saw the very early stages of the Civil Rights movement and the rise of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership role in the movement. These times got the ground moving for social change faster than things had changed in this country ever before… so fast that I can still feel the aftershocks to this very day. Can you?

Nick

Please email me at: nick@ustrek.org