Race Relations In The Post-War South

The five main factors essential to understanding race relations in the post-war South are the politics of white supremacy, limited opportunities in careers and housing for both African American and Caucasian veterans, the economic boom, voting rights and the county unit system. After World War II, the South faced difficulties as demagogues of segregationist values were being challenged by leaders in the black communities to give equal rights to those of all races. World War II demonstrated that while the fight for freedom had been won over seas it had not been successful in America. Both Caucasian and black veterans came back to difficulty in integrating into society. While the South faced the economic demands of a post-war era it left very few opportunities in

The war had reshaped their political and social expectations of race relations in the south. Veterans came back to a housing boom and difficulty integrating into society. African American veterans were expected to resume old roles in society such a being farm hands or chauffeurs. This in turn led to the creation of several groups such as the Georgia Veterans League which veterans encouraged voting registration and participation in the Democratic primaries (Cobb, 4). Some of the African-American veterans gained support from Caucasian veterans who felt that because of African American’s dedication to America that they too deserved the same rights. However, many other Caucasian veterans felt that fighting in World War II meant to preserve the politics of white supremacy (Cobb, 5). Caucasian veterans felt that their white supremacist views were reasonable because if black veterans were to obtain the same freedoms as Caucasian veterans then it would mean that the few jobs and housing opportunities available would then be a competition between African Americans and