What I have recently realized, due in part to Katznelson’s book and also my social problems sociology course, is that most of the racism in existence today is deep rooted and institutional. The reason that most minorities live in impoverished urban cities is because they were never given the chance to move to the suburbs. The National Housing Act, a part of the New Deal, was enacted to making buying and owning a home more affordable to the average American. But much like the majority of actions taken during this time, it was restricted to whites only. The government programs of this time helped whites secure their place in the middle class, and left blacks and other minorities behind. Franklin Delano Roosevelt is best known for dealing with the great issues of his time by enacting a series of programs and reforms called the New Deal. The way the New Deal is taught in high school curriculums portrays it as a general success. In Roosevelt’s first 100 days in office he enacted a dozen or so federal laws, giving the federal government an increase in power, but also helping a great majority of American industry. His Public Works …show more content…
Black soldiers were permitted to serve in the war, and over a million did, though the ranks were still separated by race. Coming home from the war, soldiers encountered the GI Bill which helped them to build their lives after serving their country. This bill helped millions of veterans to buy homes, attend college, start business, and receive a plethora of other forms of assistance. And yet somehow, the black soldiers were forgotten. The money from the GI Bill was distributed to state governments, and then local authorities decided who would receive what benefits. Many schools, jobs, and even banks refused service to blacks, even veterans, despite the