Prohibition And Race Relations In The 1920's

In the 1920 's, post-war America sought after improvements in many different ways. The “Roaring Twenties” were a time of widespread controversy and reform. Race relations, immigration, prohibition, and religious reform were among these improvements. Though conflict and dispute were rampant during this time, prohibition and race relations were the most prominent of the controversies. Prohibition was one of the final bursts of the progressive reform movement. Supported by women and churches across the nation, the 18th Amendment abolished alcohol in 1919. This move was especially popular in the West and the South. Westerners favored prohibition because of its attack on western atrocities like prostitution, crime, corruption, and public drunkenness. Southern whites supported the amendment because it would keep alcohol out of blacks’ hands, and keep them in their place. Despite this support, many citizens opposed prohibition. These adversaries of the amendment knew alcohol as a central part of socializing, since people frequently gathered in taverns and beer gardens to socialize. Yet prohibition seemed to be staying for the long run. Unfortunately, prohibitionists overlooked a couple important aspects of American culture: the ever-present desire for a drink as well as citizens being accustomed to weak …show more content…
During - and partially thanks to - the sobering up of the nation, reforms in race relations took place in the 1920’s. The Universal Negro Improvement Association, founded and led by Marcus Garvey, had four million members by the turn of the decade. The organization sought to encourage self-respect among African Americans by establishing businesses owned by blacks. Despite the organization coming under allegations of fraud, Garvey encouraged racial equality to the masses in a time when many minorities embraced