Critical Thinking 17-5 #4

Although Wilson was a progressive president, he failed to push for civil rights. There are several possible explanations for this. Presidents before him had also avoided the same issue, which may have discouraged Wilson from being the first in a while to stand up and argue against discrimination. However, Wilson declared that he would do his best to end discrimination. African Americans who supported him felt betrayed when he opposed antilynching legislation as a president. This failure to assist civil rights groups may have also been in part because of his background. Wilson was from the south, and southern prejudices would have made it difficult to support blacks. It may have also had to do with the people who were targeted by reform movements, and the fact that many of those people held power in the government. These factors added together show what may have been the reason for his lack of support for racial equality.