Effects Of Lynching On African Americans In The 1930s

The 1930s was a trying time for colored people in the United States. During this time lynching had become a common practice. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) really started pushing for civil rights during this era. In the 1930s blacks were not the only ones being targeted and discriminated against. Communism was a threat in the United States and many people feared a communist attack. The 1930s not only proved trying for colored people, but also for Japanese, Jewish, and other races. Additionally, the 1930s brought on the Great Depression. Another prevalent group in America at the time was the Communist party USA (CP). The CP fought for equality for blacks in all places, especially the work place. The

The group was started because lynching became more and more common, and also because of the 1908 riot in Springfield, Illinois. As the civil rights movement progressed, their main mission also expanded. They pushed for the rights stated in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to be respected for all people. Due to the Great Depression, the NAACP focused on the economic well being and rights of African Americans. The Great Depression brought on layoffs, and even more discrimination. African Americans received less aid and also were denied access to soup kitchens by some charitable organizations. To help aid colored people during the Great Depression, many organizations, groups, and laws were formed.
The New Deal program, headed by president Franklin Delano Roosevelt, offered blacks housing, labor, and financial aid. This program, and many other movements were started during this era, such as the “Jobs for Negroes” movement and “International Unemployment Day.” The International Labor Defense group was formed to lawfully defend those falsely accused of crimes. The ILD associated directly with the CP, and many members of the CP supported and helped the

This case involved nine black men who were accused of raping two white women while on a train near Scottsboro, Alabama. The Scottsboro boys had been falsely accused and set up. Two police men had caught the boys illegally riding the train, a minor charge, and upon their arrest, found and forced two white women on the train to accuse the boys of raping them. This case was brought up to the CP and they decided to take action. They brought in the ILD to defend the Scottsboro Boys in court. The boys had two trials, in which of both they were convicted and sentenced to death by all-white jurors. The ILD and CP decided to take the campaign to overthrow the boys’ convictions on a national scale. At first the NAACP didn’t approve of the ILP being involved in the case because it was such a controversial issue, but the NAACP eventually agreed to aid in the effort to overthrow the boys’ conviction. In 1937, the case was taken to the Supreme Court and the boys’ convictions were dropped. This case raised issues in the legal system and also caused people to rethink the judicial