During World War Two there were several efforts to stem the tide of rising racial violence, as African-Americans became more vocal about bias and discrimination at home while Black soldiers were fighting against fascism overseas. The federal government was concerned that white attacks against African-Americans would affect morale, and provide propaganda for Germany, Japan, and Italy. So they worked with the radio networks to create anti-stereotypical programs to boost the image of Blacks. One was an 8 part series called Freedom's People which aired on NBC in 1941. You'll hear the opening installment. Another show was An Open Letter on Race Hatred aired by CBS in 1943. It featured a personal appeal by Republican presidential candidate Wendell Willkie. Once the war was over, the networks basically returned to the usual stereotypical shows common during the latter years of the Jim Crow area.
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