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It depends on who you were. If you were White, and male, it was quite good for you. If you were Black, life was harder. Anyone ever watch Leave It To Beaver? I don't think a Black family would have been welcomed in Beaver's neighborhood. Many places had restrictive covenants prohibiting Blacks from buying homes in certain places. If you were Black and lived in the South, life would have been even scarier for you. Jim Crow laws, the constant threat of being assaulted or killed if you didn't "know your place", "Colored" drinking fountains, segregated schools were the law of the land, certain places you couldn't eat at, life in the 1950s wasn't all peaches and cream, especially if you weren't White, or even male in some cases.
I don't believe that life was harder at all for black people back in the 1950s. Most of them had a much better quality of life than they do now, and damn sure they weren't killing each other by the thousands, they hand intact families and the opportunity for work and education. Again, people who did not live then do not understand that the whole "civil rights" movement has done very, very little to actually benefit the "average" black man or woman.
All of these "which decade was the best" threads have something in common, namely those who came of age in that decade are usually the biggest cheerleaders. On the other hand, their parents may have had a different opinion. There's a lot to be said for being young and having fun, without having adult responsibilities. Anyway, back to the decade in question. Let's see: widespread smoking, lack of awareness of how one's actions impact the environment and other species with whom we share the planet, conformity, repression, racism, sexism, lousy music, dualistic mentality, etc. No thank you.
I don't believe that life was harder at all for black people back in the 1950s. Most of them had a much better quality of life than they do now, and damn sure they weren't killing each other by the thousands, they hand intact families and the opportunity for work and education. Again, people who did not live then do not understand that the whole "civil rights" movement has done very, very little to actually benefit the "average" black man or woman.
I don't believe that life was harder at all for black people back in the 1950s. Most of them had a much better quality of life than they do now, and damn sure they weren't killing each other by the thousands, they hand intact families and the opportunity for work and education. Again, people who did not live then do not understand that the whole "civil rights" movement has done very, very little to actually benefit the "average" black man or woman.
20yrsinBranson
There are more Blacks in the middle class today than there were back in the 1950s. There are more Black CEO's now than have ever been before. More Black college graduates than ever before. Sure, there are still alot of poor,Black areas. However, this is what you are not understanding. It is up to you if you choose to raise your child right. And alot of the shootings are related to drugs. However, being able to vote, being able to live wherever you want, having the same freedoms as anyone else is very important. I would not have been as free in the 1950s as I am now.
It was the last decade before the culture wars. Most people never had to think about about civil rights, gay rights, the women’s movement, hippies, the sexual revolution, the pill, abortion, etc.
Many white, social conservatives see it as a golden age. They could say “Merry Christmas” with impunity. They were, for perhaps the last time, “normative,” i.e., they defined that was “normal” in the culture.
As a bi-racial gay man, I’m sure I would have been utterly miserable, but many people, including my mother, look on the decade fondly.
Wow, didn't know that this would get so many replies in such a short ammount of time. Thank you for all the information on this.
The 1950s era is considered a subject with some controversy. People have strong opinions about it.
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