socialconditions

Social Conditions of African Americans Simon, Jake and Vincent

In the past, African Americans living in America had a harsh time with the conditions they were presented with. In comparison with the social conditions in the past, the social conditions have improved greatly for African American people. African Americans didn’t have the same employment opportunities as white Americans. African Americans were only hired until jobs that didn’t require as much skill, such as packaging and farming. The African Americans were often treated unfairly in their job as well. They could be working just as hard, or harder, than white workers but receive less pay. Segregation was also a major factor in terms of African Americans not being able to be employed into certain jobs. The social conditions between the Northern and Southern states of America were also very different. The social conditions in the North were far better than the South. The North gave opportunities in the work force, social class and education to the African Americans, while in the South they were treated unfairly and as slaves. The South relied on slavery for their farming and hard labour, while the North were more fair and hard working. The black people in the South were more affected by racist groups (KKK), while the black people in the North didn’t have as many racial problems. When the Southerners heard about the opportunities in the North, they began migrating to the North, known as the Great Migration. The American Civil War was caused by the North and South’s disagreement of slavery. The North fought against slavery, while the South fought for slavery. The war was eventually won by the North, ending slavery in America. Redlining also affected living conditions. Redlining is when a red line is drawn through a neighbourhood. That neighbourhood becomes disadvantaged because their banking, insurance and mortgage costs are higher. This financially affected the African American people. The conditions for African Americans in schools were as harsh as the ones in the public. Examples of segregation were in classrooms and toilets. The schools for African Americans didn’t have as good resources as white schools. The education and learning standards were significantly different. Majority of education funding went to White schools, providing textbooks and stationery. Black schools got old, second-hand resources for their studies. The social conditions were definitely a reason why the African Americans changed their living style, contributing to the Civil Rights Movement.