African Americans have endured persecution for centuries in the form of slavery, racism, and downright hate. In America, African Americans began enduring slavery and forced labor in the early 17th century. These social evils would only transform and evolve as African Americans were eventually liberated from slavery, but still faced with unequal rights. 20th century African Americans still endured unequal treatment and were segregated from the white community almost entirely. Walter Lee Younger from A Raisin in the Sun, and Troy Maxson from Fences, both display the kind of treatment that African Americans were subject to and the lives they lived during the mid 20th century.
One of the most scarring and known forms of discrimination to African Americans in the 20th century was segregation. Almost every aspect of life was lived separated from the white society. Schools, restaurants, and bathrooms, to name a few, were strictly labeled with what race they were intended for. Segregation in sports was very common, however blacks went on to form their own regional teams. Famous players like Jackie Robinson, who played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, faced an extreme amount of hate despite the fact that he was an incredible player. Another area of discrimination for African Americans has been with their right to vote. The 15th amendment was established 1870 and granted African American the right to vote under the constitution. While African Americans had the right to vote throughout the 20th century, they were often intimidated and threated to not vote. Lynching and violence were the usual means of upholding the status-quo for white southerners and prevented many southern blacks from voting. If lynching was not a threat then other barriers such as poll taxes and literacy taxes would prevent African Americans from voting. Political parties had the ability to refuse African Americans to become members, preventing them from having any say in elected officials (Kenneth).
Discrimination and unequal rights were seen in movies throughout the 20th century. The film A Raisin in the Sun takes place in 1961 and follows the Younger family as they attempt to enjoy a better life by purchasing a home in a respected neighborhood. When the family attempts to purchase a home in a predominately white neighborhood, a member of the Clybourne Park Improvement Association visits the family. The man offers Walter Lee Younger a monetary incentive to not move into the neighborhood, an example of redlining in the 20th century. Banks and residents of neighborhoods attempted to keep African Americans from moving into more upscale neighborhoods through various means. Banks were extremely unlikely to lend African Americans loans in order to purchase homes which kept African Americans from purchasing better homes. Banks were also unlikely to invest money in predominately African American neighborhoods which would lead to a steady decay of infrastructure and an overall decrease in the neighborhood’s worth. While the neighborhood in the film attempted to stop the Younger’s advancement, they ultimately failed, and the Younger’s were able to complete their dream and move out of their rundown neighborhood. Troy Maxson from the film Fences experiences a similar situation to Walter Lee Younger; Both men aspire to a life outside of their neighborhoods, however, Walter Lee was able to fulfil his dream and acquire a new home while Troy seems to enclose himself with the fence that he so desperately wants to build.
Troy and Walter surely share similar feelings regarding their position in life. Troy understands that the only reason he cannot advance in his job is because he is African American; Walter Lee is unhappy with his job as a chauffeur and does not approve of being a servant to someone. Both of these characters exhibit the struggles of almost every African American during the mid 20th century. In Fences, Troy loads garbage into garbage trucks, a position he is not too satisfied with. Troy wishes to be a driver instead of a loader, but understands that since he is an African American, he will never be granted the opportunity. The racial system at his work only hires African Americans as garbage loaders. This empowers Troy to speak his mind frequently throughout the film. Walter lee in A Raisin in the Sun experiences similar problems with his occupation as a chauffeur. Walter Lee believes that the job is degrading and demands social respect. Walter and Troy both exhibit the struggles of African Americans as both of them are trying to better their lives and are challenging society.
Despite both characters wanting to reach a point of financial stability in their lives, each goes about the treatment of their families differently. The desire to become rich is a thought that swarms through both character’s heads throughout each film. Walter has more ambition than Troy does, yet both seem to have a greedy, selfish mentality that not only hurts themselves, but other around them. Both men experience a total detachment from their families for large portions of each film. Troy believes that life will be much better since he got a job promotion, however, he appears to not be able to handle the emotional side of his family. Troy begins to express a depressed tone as he complains more and more about his life. Troy’s son, Cory Maxson, experiences the worst of his father as he degrades him on a daily basis. It can be interpreted that Troy is jealous of Cory’s football career since his own sports career fell through. The dying connection between Troy and his family causes him to cheat and get into a fight with Cory. Any connection that Troy had had with his family was now ruined and could not be fixed. Troy’s friend Bono, mentions that “some people build fences to keep people out…and other people build fences to keep people in” (Wilson 32). Bono is trying to help Troy realize that his family is falling apart and his wife, Rose, sees this. Rose desperately wants the fence to be constructed in order to create a barrier keeping her family close.
Where Troy and Walter differ is with the treatment of their families. Walter Lee’s relationship with his family declines after his plans to open a liquor store fall through. After he invests money in a friend to open the store, he is ripped off and loses it all. For a large remainder of the film, Walter is drunk and unhappy with everyone and everything. Walter foolishly begins to talk to those around him with total disrespect and does not take time to process what he is actually saying. In one instance Walter is talking to his wife and says “who’s fighting you? Who even cares about you?” (Hansberry 116). When Walter is given the chance to return to normal and reunite with his family, he takes the correct steps unlike Troy. Walter decides that his family’s pride is more important to him than money from a community that does not want them. The Younger family moves into their new home and achieve their dream while Troy, who ends up dying, never gets the chance to fix his family’s relationship.
The adversity that many African Americans experienced throughout the 20th century has been heavily dealt with in order to rid society of its racist ideals. However, today, African Americans still experience discrimination in new and old forms. The most trending and frequently occurring form of discrimination is police brutality. With each day, it seems that another death of a black man by police is swarming the media. Whether these shootings are justified or not, African Americans unite in these times and use them to their advantage to fight for equal treatment. Dangerous cities in America usually house higher rates of African Americans, such as Detroit and Cleveland. This idea paints an image in American society that wherever large numbers of African Americans are, crimes and violence are likely to occur. Progress for African Americans is frequently halted by those who believe that there is no issue and that racism does not exist anymore. Anytime that an idea is introduced to help African Americans it is typically shot down by those who do not believe that there is a problem in society.
In brief, African Americans endured harsh treatment and unequal rights throughout the 20th century. The films, A Raisin in the Sun, and, Fences, both display the hopelessness many African Americans felt throughout these times. While African Americans surely experienced more discrimination than what was shown in the films, the films depict the pressures that everyday life imposed on a family. Civil rights and equal treatment have legally been won for African Americans. However, more needs to be done regarding the implementation and social aspects of equal treatment.