*African Americans in the 1940s were quite accustomed to expressions of racism but were also steadfast in refusing anti-black bigotry.  This was long overdue because the Black community had endured about 50 years of suppression from the American egregious landmark called the Supreme Court.

Ferguson vs. Plessey

The best example of their taxing behavior was in the case of the Ferguson vs. Plessey case. This was a decision where racial segregation had been legalized and it had been brought forward with the false notion that it would foster equality. Well, most of the African Americans of the time – who were also called Negroes, were living a wholly separate life from their counterparts.

John H. Johnson Launches Ebony Magazine

It was in this dreadful climate of the ’40s when an entrepreneur called John H. Johnson launched a magazine called ‘EBONY’, which had monthly publications. This magazine depicted the lifestyle issues of the Black working and middle-class population after the war. They also featured cover stories from some really prominent members from the Black Diaspora who belonged to every sector such as the arts, science, education, business, entertainment, religion, and politics.

The magazine also continuously featured articles about interracial organizations, schools that proved to be healthy for children, church congregations, charities, and college student associations. These institutions were a guardian angel for those who were willing to reciprocate the love and respect for all races in America.

The Outbreak of World War 2 Was Essential for the Negro Experience

At home, all the job vacancies left by men who were off to war were fulfilled by African American women. The Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and the Black US soldiers who were serving abroad actually experienced what it was like to be equal among the Europeans.

Once the war had ended, the ‘Negro’ men and women became much less tolerant of the practices of white oppressors. This was because of the Black men who didn’t have a job when they came back from the war and the children they were forced to leave abroad because of laws that banned them from interracial marriages.

Well, in the coming decades, this retaliation is what finally brought an end to lawful retaliation against Black Americans. Countless leaders emerged from the community and inspired those who were broken –inspired them enough to not give up their seats to white men on a Montgomery bus.

The rest, as you know it, is history!

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