Critical Thinking 17-4!

Why do you think Wilson failed to push for equality for African Americans, despite Progressive reform?

When Wilson was elected president he supported many Progressive ideas, but one idea that he did not show support for was for African American rights and equality. Though he favored progressive ideals, his presidential role, his background and his primary people targets all help shove the importance of Black rights out of Wilson's mind.

Wilson was the president following Roosevelt and like before him he and Roosevelt had many similar progressive ideas(p. 538). One main idea that they did share was there views on Black rights. Wilson may have tried to fallow in the footsteps of this previous president when he to also decided that he would not get involved in black rights and that they should not be focused on or given the same rights as whites.

Wilson's background of growing up in the south could have played the biggest part in why he was not concerned with blacks rights. He grew up in the south during the civil war and the prejudice that he would have against African Americans while living there could have effected him in a way where he could never be able to see blacks and whites as equals(p. 539).

Wilson was also thinking about the primary group of people his Progressive reform ideas targeted and how he would need to support the ideas of those people. The progressive movement was mostly targeted towards white citizens and business owners and Wilson would have wanted to appeal to them instead of black civil rights and equality.