Senator Truman in the Senate in the Late 1930’s, Truman

8/14/2019 Senator Truman in the Senate in the Late 1930s, Truman

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Senator Truman

In the Senate in the late 1930s, Truman consistently supported legislation to

abolish the poll tax and stop lynching. In his 1940 re-election he told his

predominantly white audience blacks should have equality before the law, civil

rights and beeter housing.

However, as a Missouri Senator, he still used the word nigger privately and

made racist jokes, even as he favoured legislation to help blacks. There were

fewer black voters than white in Missouri but Truman, like any astute politician

had to be aware that race relations were increasingly important in politics. In

1944, President Roosevelt chose Truman as his vice-president partly because he

had never made any racist remarks at least not in public.

President Truman and the Committee on Fair Employment Practices (FEPC) 1945

When Roosevelt died, Truman became president. At first he did little to helpblacks. In 1945, the FEPC tried to end discriminatory hiring policies by a

Washington DC transportation company. Truman gave them no real help in

Washington. He did try to get Congress to continue funding the FEPC but they

refused. Was this a reflection upon his personal attitude toward race relations?

More probably he felt that as the voters had not elected him he needed to be

careful over controversial issues.

Truman & Adam Clayton Powell 1945

The sensitive race issue was demonstrated in 1945. The Daughters of the

American Revolution (Middle Class society whose members claimed USancestory back to the revolutionary war, distinguishing them from newer

immigrants) refused to alow black representative Adam Clayton Powells black

musician wife to perform in their hall. Powell asked Mrs Bess Truman to boycott a

DAR tea. Bess said she deplored the treatment of Mrs Powell but would attend

the tea. Powell described the First Lady as the last lady of the land. This

infuriated ultra-loyal Truman who privately called Powell a smart alek and a

rabble rouser saying he would not receive that damned nigger preacher at the

White House. The whoe affair showed how racial discrimination regularly made

the headlines, what a struggle it was to reject racist traditions and how difficult it

was to keep everyone happy.

Post War attacks on black servicemen 1945-6

Truman was a racist, but tried to be fair. He said legal equality for blacks was the

black mans basic right because he is a human being and a natural born

American. Like many contemporaries he was horrified by attacks on black

servicemen returning from WWII. The worst attacks were in the Deep South. In

1946 Truman described how his stomach

turned over when I learned Negro soldiers just back from overseas, were being

dumped out of army trucks in Missouri and beaten..I shall fight to end evils likethis..I am not asking for social equality because no such thing exists, but I am


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asking for equality of opportunity for all human beingsWhen a mayor and a

City Marshall can take a Negro sergant off a bus, beat him up and put out one of

his eyes and nothing is done about it by the State authorities, something is

radically wrong with the system.

Truman recognised that regardless of race, the general principle of respect forthe law was at stake. Privately he stil spoke of niggers and his sister said Harry

is no more for nigger equality than any of us. Publicly he told Southern friends

they were living 80 years behind the time and for the good of the USA they had

better change.

To Secure These Rights

In Sept 1946, President Truman established a liberal civil rights committee to

investigate increasing violence against blacks. He deliberately chose liberals onthe committee, ensuring their support would draw national attention to

unacceptable situations. Although Walter White and Trumans advisers felt the

committee was nothing short of political suicide Truman told his aide to push

for it with all his might.

In October 1947 the committee gave Truman their report, entitled To Secure

These Rights. It said the USA could not claim to lead the free world while balcks

were not equal. The report advocated eliminating segregation from US life by

using federal power. It called for:

Anti-lynching legislation

Abolition of the poll tax

Voting rights law

A permanent FEPC

An end to discrimination in interstate travel

An end to discrimination in the armed forces

A civil rights division in the Justic Department

Adminsitration support fo civil rights suits in the federal courts

The establishment of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

These were revolutionary recommendations in a country where relations

between blacks and whites was so tense segregation was still legally enforced in

all the former states of the Confederacy and was a social fact in the North and

West. Nevertheless, Truaman went ahead, implementing the changes that were

within his power and calling for the changes the report recommended in hisState of the Union addresses in 1947-48.


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Ending discrimination among federal employees 1948

In 1948, his election year, despite dissent within his own party and Republican

antagonism, Truman suddenly issued executive orders to end discrimination in

the armed forces and guarnatee fair employment in the civil service. The army

top brass resisted for over 2 years. There were few black officers until ashortageof manpower in the Korean War sped up desegregation. However, the National

Guard and reserves remained segregated.

His Fair Employment Board was designed to give minorites equal treatment in

federal hiring was handicapped by limited funding and conservative employees.

However, its existence showed federal commitment to the principle of equality

and set an example to other employers.

Truman probably calculated as he had already lost the extremist white vote, he

might as well ensure the liberal and black vote.

Pressure on the Supreme Court 1948

The Truman administration supported the NAACP in SHELLEY v KRAEMER, where

the Supreme Court ruled against restrictive covenants that were used to stop

blacks purchasing homes in white areas. The ruling proved ineffective despite

Trumans efforts.

Advantage & disadvantage of liberalism on civil rights

There was an advantage to Trumans liberalism on civil rights. Some Democrats

wanted the black vote. Trumans advisers told him many believed the NorthernNegro vote today holds the balance of power in presidential elections because

the blacks voted as a block and were geographically concentrated in pivotal

large and closely contested electoral states such as New York, Illinois and

Michigan.

There were also political disadvantages in seeking the civil rights legislation.

Although Truman stated he sympathised with Southern Democrats, they were

furious. Polls showed only 6% of voters supported a civil rights programme. Not

surprisingly, Truman made only one civil rights speech during the 48 presidential

campaign in Harlem, New York!

Symbolic actions, appointments and expenditure

Truman wanted to give greater federal aid to impoverished blacks. He tried to

open more public housing to blacks after 1948. However, the administrations

urban renewal programme often left blacks homeless. There were usually less

homes available in the improved areas than the slums they replaced. Truman

appointed a black judge to the federal courts and a black governor of the Virgin

Isles.

Perhaps the most important thing Truman had done was to awaken the USAs

conscience to civil rights issues, through his speeches and symbolic actions.

Small steps, such as integrated inauguration celebrations in January 1949 and


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the desegregation of Washington DC airport, served collectively to make an

important point.

Trumans motivation conclusions

Truamn appeared to modify his views on non-whites during his life and career.

Were his motives purely political? Or, did events, age and responsibility make

him more sympathetic to ethnic minorities? Possibly, Truman remained a racist

at heart, he knew racism was wrong and should be combatted by those in power.

He could be seen as cynical when votes were at risk but was also very patriotic.

He wanted to do what was best for the USA and wanted respect for the law. He

felt that equality was vital to maintain Americas moral standing in the Cold War

world. He told balck Democrats that better education for blacks would benefit

the economy and help all Americans. It as a combination of the black vote,

respect for the law, humane revulsion at racist attacks, personal integrity and his

perception of what was best for his country that served to turn Truamn towards

advocacy of greater equality for blacks.

Documents

Senator Truman in the Senate in the Late 1930’s, Truman