Question

Jim Crow laws were racial segregation laws that were applied to blacks until they were overruled by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Until that time, blacks faced discriminatory practices in all parts of public life including jobs, housing, use of public transport, and education. In addition, blacks faced discrimination in the armed forces until President Harry Truman issued an executive order in 1948 that outlawed discrimination in the military. Based on the historical background provided, which claims in this excerpt from Franklin D. Roosevelt’s "Four Freedoms" speech, given in 1941, can be considered inconsistent with US policy? That is why the future of all the American Republics is today in serious danger. That is why this Annual Message to the Congress is unique in our history. That is why every member of the Executive Branch of the Government and every member of the Congress faces great responsibility and great accountability. The need of the moment is that our actions and our policy should be devoted primarily-almost exclusively—to meeting this foreign peril. For all our domestic problems are now a part of the great emergency. Just as our national policy in internal affairs has been based upon a decent respect for the rights and the dignity of all our fellow men within our gates, so our national policy in foreign affairs has been based on a decent respect for the rights and dignity of all nations, large and small. And the justice of morality must and will win in the end. Our national policy is this: First, by an impressive expression of the public will and without regard to partisanship, we are committed to all-inclusive national defense.

Answer 1

"The need of the moment is that our actions and our policy should be devoted primarily-almost exclusively—to meeting this foreign peril. For all our domestic problems are now a part of the great emergency."

In these lines, Roosevelt tells us that all of the domestic problems of the United States are part of the foreign emergency, and therefore, policy should concentrate on this. The statement ignores the fact that discrimination and racism are not foreign problems, but American ones.

"Just as our national policy in internal affairs has been based upon a decent respect for the rights and the dignity of all our fellow men within our gates, so our national policy in foreign affairs has been based on a decent respect for the rights and dignity of all nations, large and small."

In these lines, Roosevelt tells us that national policy in the United States is based on respecting the rights and dignity of others. This was certainly not the case when it came to African Americans.

"...we are committed to all-inclusive national defense."

The defense he talks about was not all-inclusive, as African Americans were still discriminated against.

Answer 2

The claims in the excerpt from Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" speech given in 1941 than can be considered inconsistent with US policy are the following ones: "our national policy in internal affairs has been based upon a decent respect for the rights and the dignity of all our fellow men within our gates" and "we are committed to an all-inclusive national defense".

The fact is that Jim Crow laws were enacted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and were enforced until 1965. As you can see, when Roosevelt delivered his speech the laws were still in force. His speech is inconsistent with US policy because, between the time period the laws were in force, the nation didn't have "a decent respect for the rights and dignity of all their men within their gates" and they certainly were not "commited to an all-inclusive national defense". With the legal principle "separate but equal", Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States. What is more, racial segregation was even extended to public facilitites and transportation: Facilities for African Americans were inferior compared to those for white Americans and sometimes there were no facilities for the people of colour.