A Chance to Make Good by James R. Grossman- Reflection

I know that we discussed this a while back, but I think based on what we have discussed in the past few weeks about red-lining, zoot-suiters, and African Americans place in the consumer culture it is important to go back and reflect on the points addressed in "A Chance to Make Good" by James R. Grossman. Grossman's article provides a detailed account of the differences between African Americans living in the north and the south in the 1900s after the Civil War. I think it is interesting to note that many African Americans made the big move to the cities in search of new opportunities after the Civil War and continued to live there until their homes were shattered due to the new highway systems and red-lining after World War II. Grossman cites the court cases of Dred Scott v. Sanford which ruled that Blacks "had no rights which the white man was bound to respect." Although we would like to believe that these ideals changed after the civil war and that African Americans gained more rights, looking at their place in society after World War II it is clear that this is not the case. Grossman talks about the different ways that African Americans tried to make things better for themselves, by moving to the north and working in factories. They also tried to maintain their part in World War I by buying bonds, serving in all black units, and maintaining labor and vocal support at home. Yet, African Americans did not really "make good." Like we discussed in class on Thursday, looking at all of these elements it is clear that the Civil Rights Movement was well precedented.