Radio, Music, and Film of the 1930's

African Americans in the 1930s lived mostly very sheltered lives.

Their children were sheltered and their children grew up and sheltered their children. They often lived in very tight communities with one another. Their children would never wander far and they were often dressed in the clothes their mothers had made them. Black children didn’t play with white children very often and though they had an education it was often not the best. Women would often do domestic work as an occupation but could also become teachers or nurses.

Even then you could only nurse or teach black people though. Most women worked as maids and cooks in private homes though. You would never see a black sales clerk though, all the men worked in mining, factories or delivery boys. Not jobs that are necessarily considered high up in a business. They weren’t allowed to become policemen, firemen or even salesmen.

Those who did become doctors, dentist, or preachers could only serve in the black community. (IN THE 1930s IN McCULLEYS QUARTERS, ALABAMA) Whites; however, had the right to a good education, and to work in what ever profession they wanted, of course most of them didn’t become miners or factory workers. Whites were able to work as salesmen, police officers, fireman and what ever other occupation they wanted to become. The African Americans were no so lucky in be able to choose their occupations. “Jim Crow” laws were in place up until the 1960s, they were laws that supported the ideas of segregation and they were enforced in most of the states.

These laws stated things such as; there can be a punishment if you interact with someone of another race. They had laws for buses, railroads, restaurants and even interracial marriage. Figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, later fought campaigns against these laws and eventually won. However, in the 1930s the African Americans had no choice other than to abide by the law.