How the New Deal Excluded Black Americans During the Great Depression

CrashCourse

This educational video from Crash Course Black American History examines the disparate impact of the Great Depression on Black Americans compared to the broader population. It provides a nuanced analysis of the New Deal, exploring how groundbreaking economic policies that built the white middle class frequently excluded Black citizens through specific legislative loopholes and local administration. The narrator, Clint Smith, connects these historical economic decisions to the persistent racial wealth gap seen in the United States today. The video covers several critical themes, including systemic economic inequality, the political strategy of the Roosevelt administration, and the specific mechanisms of exclusion within the Social Security Act and the Wagner Act. It also highlights Black agency and resilience, detailing the contributions of the "Black Cabinet," the cultural preservation work of Zora Neale Hurston through the WPA, and grassroots organizing led by figures like Ella Baker. For educators, this resource serves as an essential tool for teaching the complexities of the New Deal era beyond the traditional narrative of universal progress. It offers concrete examples of how "race-neutral" language in legislation can produce racially discriminatory outcomes, making it highly valuable for civics, government, and U.S. history classrooms. The video encourages critical thinking about government policy, historical compromise, and the long-term structural origins of economic disparity.