Racism in the New Deal
The New Deal, introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s to combat the Great Depression, had both positive and negative impacts on racial minorities. While it aimed to provide economic relief and reform, it also reflected and sometimes reinforced existing racial inequalities. source
Exclusion from Programs: Many New Deal programs, such as Social Security and the National Labor Relations Act, excluded agricultural and domestic workers, who were predominantly African American and Latino.
Discriminatory Practices: Despite efforts to include minorities, systemic racism and segregation often limited the effectiveness of these programs. For example, the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) reduced farm production, which disproportionately affected black sharecroppers. source
Job Losses: Policies like the National Industrial Recovery Act led to job losses for many African Americans, particularly in the South.
Overall, while the New Deal made some strides towards racial inclusion, it was not able to fully overcome the entrenched racial order of the time. The Civil Rights Movement would later address many of these issues more directly.