Naacp's Impact On African Americans

During the time period when World War I was coming to an end, opportunities for African Americans were very limited. Racism and segregation were still prominent, the greatest evidence of that being the fact that African Americans were not allowed to fight in World War I. Because they were not allowed to fight, they began to feel as if they did not have a place in society. So, many African Americans became excellent poets and jazz players in order to prove that they were worth something. On top of all of the racism and segregation that surrounded the African American community, the Great Depression hit, which changed the lives of millions of people. While living during the Great Depression was hard for everyone, it was especially draining for …show more content…
After proving that they could in fact work just as hard as whites during the war, they began to gain respect very slowly. In addition to slowly climbing their way up the ladder of societal hierarchy, certain groups and leaders spoke out against segregation and worked to put an end to it. One such group was the NAACP. The NAACP worked to ensure the social, educational, economic, and political equality of minority groups in the U.S. They did this by looking to destroy barriers of racial discrimination through the democratic processes. A prominent leader who also had a great impact on putting an end to segregation was W.E.B. DuBois, the founder of the NAAP. DuBois was the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard University and he was also an American civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, educator, and leader. The combined works of W.E.B DuBois and others involved in the NAACP and similar organizations changed the way that African Americans were viewed in society and were a huge step towards ending segregation. Therefore, from the end of World War I to the end of World War II, the opportunities available for African Americans and the way that society viewed them changed immensely for the