Chapter 7 Summary

Eleanor Roosevelt put herself in the middle of racial controversy in September of 1940, by speaking at the Convention of Sleeping Car Porters, a mostly Negro group. Eleanor had championed the economic needs of black Americans during the 1930s. She was instrumental in getting her husband to sign an Anti-Discrimination provision on WPA projects. She spoke up publicly for racial equality and invited black Americans by the hundreds to the White House.

The President gained by her efforts among black voters, who were migrating into large cities like New York and Chicago. By keeping a lower profile on the issues himself, he maintained viability in a Southern-dominated Congress.

A new and bigger issue arose in the form of eliminating racial segregation and discrimination in the Armed Forces. Negro leaders were particularly angry that well- qualified blacks were denied promotions and well-paying jobs in the...