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Roosevelt's black advisors in 1938

During his time as U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt did not officially choose any African Americans to be top leaders in his government. Because of this, African American workers in the government started meeting informally. They called themselves the Federal Council of Negro Affairs. Their goal was to help shape government rules about race. By 1935, about 45 African Americans worked in different parts of the government and in programs from the New Deal. This group became known as the Black Cabinet. President Roosevelt never officially recognized them. However, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt strongly supported them. While many people think Mary McLeod Bethune first used the name, African American newspapers had used it earlier for black advisors to other presidents.

How the Black Cabinet Started

The Black Cabinet cared a lot about civil rights. But President Roosevelt felt that other big problems, like World War II, were more important at the time. He also wanted to keep the support of white politicians from the Southern states. Because of this, Roosevelt did not support laws that would make lynching a federal crime. He also did not support laws to stop the poll tax in the South. This tax made it harder for African Americans to vote.

With help from Eleanor Roosevelt, the Black Cabinet worked hard. They wanted to make sure African Americans received 10 percent of welfare money. The group argued that black citizens were not getting enough help from New Deal programs. This was often because Southern politicians made sure the programs mostly helped white people. For example, the Agricultural Adjustment Administration helped farm owners, but not farm workers. It paid owners to grow less, meaning they needed fewer workers.

Other programs, like the Works Projects Administration (WPA) and the National Youth Administration (NYA), tried to give 10 percent of their money to African Americans. This was because African Americans made up about 10 percent of the U.S. population. These groups even set up separate units for black workers. These units had the same pay and conditions as white units. African American voters liked this very much.

Mary McLeod Bethune was a key organizer for the Black Cabinet. She was also the Director of Negro Affairs for the National Youth Administration. Rayford Wittingham Logan helped write an order from Roosevelt. This order stopped the military from keeping African Americans out during World War II. Other important leaders were William H. Hastie and Robert C. Weaver. Many people believe these Black Cabinet leaders helped start the Civil Rights Movement. This movement grew much stronger after the war.

The Black Cabinet worked to create jobs and chances for African Americans who were out of work. During the Great Depression, about 20 percent of poor people were African American. Many lived in the rural South. They were often the first to lose their factory jobs. Most African Americans did not get much help from some New Deal laws.

The WPA created jobs for creative people. This included writers, artists, and photographers. WPA artists painted murals and made sculptures for many government buildings. Photographers took pictures of families across the South and in Northern cities. The Federal Writers' Project paid its workers $20 a week. They wrote histories of every state and major city.

Under Roscoe E. Lewis, the Virginia Writers' Project sent out an all-black team of writers. They interviewed African Americans who had once been enslaved. Other states also collected these stories. The Slave Narrative Collection from the Federal Writers' Project is one of its most important achievements.

Members of the Black Cabinet worked both officially and unofficially. They helped the government understand what African Americans needed. Before this time, so many African Americans had never worked together in the government for the benefit of their community. The 45 members mostly advised the president's team. Eleanor Roosevelt was said to encourage the Black Cabinet. She wanted them to help shape the New Deal programs.

Key Members of the Black Cabinet

Most members were not politicians. They were community leaders, smart thinkers, and activists. One important member was Dr. Robert C. Weaver. He was a young economist from Harvard University. He advised the White House on race issues. He worked to create more opportunities for African Americans. In 1966, he became the first African American to be a cabinet member. President Lyndon B. Johnson chose him to lead the new Department of Housing and Urban Development. Later, in the 1970s, Weaver helped New York City during its money problems. Another key member was Eugene K. Jones. He was the Executive Secretary of the National Urban League, a big civil rights group.

One of the most famous members, and the only woman, was Mary McLeod Bethune. Bethune was very close to the Roosevelts. She even changed her political party because of them. Bethune was deeply connected to her community. She believed she knew what African Americans truly wanted. Other cabinet members respected her greatly. The younger men called her "Ma Bethune." Bethune was a personal friend of Eleanor Roosevelt. She was the only cabinet member who could visit the White House easily. Their friendship began when Eleanor Roosevelt placed Bethune next to the president at a lunch. This was considered a great honor. Franklin Roosevelt was so impressed by one of Bethune's speeches. He then appointed her to lead the Division of Negro Affairs in the new National Youth Administration.

Some of the members of this group in 1938 included:

Other people who were part of the group at different times included:

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