In FDR’s initial term he failed to demonstrate to the African Americans he could be considered a friend. Specifically, his initial term was focused on bringing the country out of The Great Depression. In order for his efforts to be successful he could not afford to have Americans divided. Unfortunately, by implementing programs to aid African Americans, without initial progress to the overall conditions of white americans, FDR would have lost the south’s support. For example President Roosevelt opposed the federal anti-lynching legislation. FDR confided to an NAACP official that if he had supported the anti lynching bill, none of his future bills to aid the American people would have been supported by Congress (Kelley, R., & Lewis, E., 2005).