African Americans were the group that were left out of prosperity of the 1950s for the most part. The correct option in regards to the question given is option "B". The reason behind such discrimination was racism. During this period United States of America had a overall growth of approximately 37%. Most of the people living during the 1950s found that they had far more purchasing power than anybody had before. This was not always the case with the African Americans. There was still racism prevalent during that time. While most white people gained during this time of boom in economy, the African Americans were left behind.