Franklin Delano Roosevelt Prsident Franklin

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Prsident Franklin Delano Roosevelt's relationship to the African-American community and civil rights is somewhat complex. His wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, is an undisputed champion of racial equality in the United States, and her sentiments found their way into his politics at least to a small degree, but his record is very much a mixed bag when it comes to the issue of race. There are some ways in which Roosevelt could be considered a "friend" to African-Americans, and many ways in which this is simply not the case.

One of the most important things Roosevelt did in terms of establishing greater racial equality was issuing an executive order making racial consideration in hiring by the federal government an unsanctioned practice. Not only did this drastically change official and unofficial hiring practices in the government, but it also sent a signal to the business world. This type of move, however, was more the exception during Roosevelt's presidency than the rule, and in reality its effects were not nearly as strong or as widespread as might be hoped.

Some more direct and telling examples of Roosevelt's race relations come from his continued buckling to pressure from Southern white Democrats, who formed the majority of Roosevelt's party, on issues of segregation and anti-lynching laws. In these areas, Roosevelt showed himself to be a man of political expediency rather than someone committed to principles of racial equality. Though the Great Depression and World War II certainly demanded attention and action, Roosevelt also used them as an excuse to appease his party members in the area of racial disparity.

March on Washington Despite accusations of being "watered down" from such prominent leaders of the Civil Rights movement as Malcolm X and the controversy over the self-imposed censorship of John Lewis' speech, the March on Washington was largely a success. It did not actually instigate the Civil Rights Act, which was already under deliberation and passed the year following the march, but it definitely demonstrated the will of the people in regards to the Act.

At the same time, the successes of the march were largely symbolic, which has been interpreted by some as meaning that the march was not truly successful. A determination of the March on Washington's success, then, depends upon one's definition of success.

The march itself did not eradicate the Jim Crow laws or establish political and economic equality -- two things which remain sought for today, though the disparity and inequalities have lessened a great deal -- but it did provide a major touchstone in the lives, hearts, and minds of.