Sharecropping, Ghetto, Slum: The History of African American Poverty in 20th Century America | Social Studies & Historical Research Resource

These insightful words stated during the 1930s by Reverend Richard Robert Wright Jr. spoke to a twentiethcentury reality that white Americans held toward the nation's black citizenry. African Americans of higher station resented being judged by the lesssuccessful members of the race. After the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, class distinctions between African Americans became increasingly significant. With the legal demise of racial discrimination, scores of ambitious blacks who embraced middleclass values took advantage of newly created opportunities to enter mainstream America. Ambitious African Americans who coveted a higher standard of living displayed a quest for higher education, presented evidence of a strong work ethic, and endorsed the concept of deferred gratification.