Historic Resource Study: African-American Civil Rights Leaders and the Roosevelts

Description

The purpose of this project is to produce an Historic Resource Study for the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site to provide a historical overview and develop historic contexts for understanding Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt⿿s evolving positions on civil rights with emphasis on the influence of key African-American civil rights leaders in shaping their vision. To the extent possible, this study will address the New Deal, WWII, and Post War eras (ca. 1933-1962); will identify African-American activists who sought to influence the Roosevelts; will assess the extent and limitations of their advocacy; and will identify ways that advocacy shaped African-American social, economic, and political life. This report will consist of a survey of published work on these topics and an evaluation of the influence of African American leaders from 1933 to 1962. The study will focus on the power and limits of this advocacy on the evolution of the Roosevelts⿿ shared vision of human rights and the complex effects of the New Deal, wartime, and Cold War programs on African American social, economic and political life. Contexts and topics relevant to understanding key individuals and issues might include some of the following: ⿢ The influence of NAACP, beginning with push for federal anti-lynching legislation; ER⿿s NAACP involvement (1933-62), the evolution of involvement during FDR Presidency, Post War, and United Nations periods. ⿢ The influence on the Roosevelts of relationships with Walter White, A. Philip Randolph, Mary McLeod Bethune, Robert Weaver, Roy Wilkins, Bayard Ruskin, W.E.B. DuBois, Anna Pauline Murray, Martin Luther King, Thurgood Marshall, and other key/influential figures. ⿢ National Labor Relations Act (1935) ⿢ Influence of Federal Council of Negro Affairs (⿿Black Cabinet⿝ 1936) ⿢ The work of the 1936 National Negro Congress ⿢ 1938, publication of A Report on the Economic Conditions of the South, and creation and Roosevelt involvement in the Southern Conference for Human Welfare. ⿢ Lobbying for African-American participation in New Deal relief/work programs, including Resettlement/Subsistence, WPA programs, Federal Housing Authority, the CCC, etc. ⿢ Pressure for 1941 March on Washington led to Fair Labor Employment Practices (Executive Order 8802) and enforcement committee; African-American participation in WWII industry, segregated military; ⿿Double V⿝ campaign. ⿢ FDR speech 1/6/1941 identifying goal of Four Freedoms, and speech of 1/11/1944 outlining 2nd bill of rights; what is applicability of this vision to African-American rights? ⿢ W.E.B. DuBois and others⿿ efforts to include African-American civil rights infringements in work on the UN⿿s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A full Scope of Work will be drafted with the Principal Investigator following issue of this Task Agreement. The Scope of Work will outline the scope of topics and issues, quality control measures to ensure that draft and final deliverables are complete and meet scholarly investigative standards, delivery and performance schedule (including start up meeting, detailed outline including front and back matter, drafts, final report, public presentation at park, etc.), style and format guidelines, and payment schedule.

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