A Divided Society

The 1950s were good years for many Americans. They had jobs that paid well, new homes in the suburbs, and good schools for their children. But African Americans were one group who did not share fully in all this. In the 1950s, prejudice against African Americans was widespread in the United States.

One of the worst results of this prejudice was segregation, the practice of keeping people apart based on race.

Segregation was different in different parts of the United States. The South was home to more than half of African Americans. In the South, segregation was enforced by Jim Crow laws. These laws

A child uses a drinking fountain outside of a North Carolina courthouse. In the 1950s, segregation controlled the everyday lives of most African Americans.