Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

Birmingham was described by social workers of the era as the city hardest hit by the Great Depression, which dealt its heaviest blow to the Black population. The social disorder of the 1930s resulted in increased unionization, and with the shift to wartime production the city began its bounce back as civic leaders diversified the economic base. Yet, despite the returning prosperity, Blacks who then stood at forty percent of the total population, received unequal opportunity, and substandard municipal services. Having fought for freedom abroad, returning Black veterans grew incensed at the dismal living standards in the Black community.