Why Did Black Americans Leave the Republican Party in the 1930s? (Antiracist edition)

Happy Black History Month!

In the spirit of Negro History Week, (the precursor to Black History Month) I am spending this episode combating anti-blackness in high school education. Specifically, Matthew Vriesman, creator of Antiracist APUSH, and I discuss why Black people really joined the Democratic Party in the 1930s and 40s. Contrary to the widely used American Pageant textbook it was not simply about welfare. In an era of lynching and discrimination, Black voters had more pressing concerns.

In this episode, Vriesman and I closely examine the origins and necessity of Antiracist APUSH. Then we discuss the radical shift in Black voting behavior in 1936. The American Pageant's answer both glosses over racism in the 20th century and continues to influence how politicians discuss and cultivate the Black vote. So here is an examination of the issue under an antiracist lens.

Further Reading [As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]

Black Americans in the Roosevelt Era: Liberalism and Race by John B. Kirby (https://amzn.to/3akXO1C)

Farewell to the Party of Lincoln by Nancy Weiss (https://amzn.to/3u1VLHg)

Music Credit

PeaceLoveSoul by Jeris (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35859 Ft: KungFu (KungFuFrijters)