Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2022/Fall/Section093/Lucy Reeves

Biography

Early Life & Childhood

Lucy Reeves was an African-American school teacher born in Clark County and living in Atlanta, Georgia. Raised predominantly by her grandmother, Reeves lived a pleasant childhood, collecting spare change from customers at her grandmother’s restaurant. From a young age, she was taught about the importance of saving up and putting her best into her work. Reeve's work ethic shown through the life she led.

Later Life

Aside from teaching, she held jobs with the Government Employment Office and interviewed for FERA. She owned a spacious house in one of the most successful African-American cities in the country, and sent both of her kids to college where they won numerous awards and pursued careers in education. Her diligence and commitment to her city earned her respect throughout the community, from white people and African-Americans alike. Reeves preached about the importance of her heritage and morals, and instituted the same ideologies into her children. Since she was a little girl, Reeves was taught the importance of integrity and having pride in where she came from. Many of her ancestors were enslaved, and the lessons they passed down included those of self-respect, honesty, and familial pride.

Social Context

Atlanta Riots of 1906

On September 24, 1906, the Associated Press reported that a growing mob of white people had begun pulling black people from street cars and buildings in Atlanta, beating them with various weapons and blunt objects. This event marked the beginning of a stretch of extreme violence by white attackers, many citing disdain for an integrated community as reason for their actions. Lasting three full days, the Atlanta Riots of 1906 had a lasting effect on members of the African-American community. Physical distress, loss of jobs, and the stripping of the right to free speech were all aftermath of the riots. These effects were perpetuated by the actions of political leaders and publishers, many of whom allowed the riots to continue under the pretense that they were justified. With powerful loyalties lying with white attackers, many African-American people were at a loss of how to combat the riots and keep themselves and their communities safe. Some members of the community spoke up about the riots and the actions of white people in power. Jesse Barber, a renowned African-American publisher wrote in his paper, “if the mobs in the Atlanta riot were a pyramid, we would find hoodlums at the base, but white politicians and newspaper editors at the apex." In return, Barber, and other protestors were driven out of their jobs and faced consequences for speaking up against the riots and political mishandlings. Although the riots only spanned 3 days, the aftermath plagued the black Atlantan community for years. Community members were scared, and felt unsure that they could ever live secure and respected lives. Despite the events of the riots, Atlanta continued to blossom as an industrialized country, and many black people found great success and elite status in the city in following years.

African American Prosperity and Industrialization

Prior to the 1910s, the south consisted of significantly more impoverished people and families than the north (hence the high concentration of southerners interviewed for the Federal Writers Project). Although slavery was no longer legal, segregation continued to plague the country - especially the south. Naturally, career opportunities were less readily available to black workers, and many African-American families exited slavery with very little to support themselves with. However, between 1910 and 1920, new service-orientated businesses and wholesale and retail shops started up, leading to a rise in job availability. This new industrial boom maximized southern potential and the success of families in the communities. With Atlanta hosting a high concentration of African-American families, black prosperity and success became visible for one of the first times in US history. Old and new visitors of the city praised “the great possibilities of the new south,” deeming Atlanta and its surrounding territory “the new west." The country backed the blossoming city, in turn backing a new age of African-American prosperity and industrialization.

Roosevelt Presidency

In 1932, amidst the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt beat out his republican opponent, Herbert Hoover, and was elected the 32nd president of the United States. Roosevelt did not enter office with a lot of African-American support. Black support for President Hoover overtook that of Roosevelt by a two-to-one margin. Hoover’s political party association with the Grand Old Partygarnered him this support, as many African-Americans connected the party with Abraham Lincoln, who was responsible for emancipating slaves in 1863. After taking office, Roosevelt quickly implemented many initiatives to combat poverty and unemployment, including the New Deal. Many African-Americans remained skeptical of this legislation as racial discrimination continued to terrorize the nation. During his presidency, Roosevelt implemented the Black Cabinet - a small administration of African-American personnel who helped advise him and his decision making during the New Deal. Multiple factors drove Roosevelt to implement this cabinet, one of the main ones being “a recognition of the Democrats’ expanding black vote." While the implementation of this cabinet specifically reflected Roosevelt's commitment to African-American communities in some ways, it still left qualified African-American advisors in inferior positions. Intentions behind this aspect of Roosevelt’s presidency may have been positive, however, the execution was not always progressive. Although some aspects were frowned on by black communities, Roosevelt’s presidency was progressive enough to earn the support of many African-American voters. The African-American and southern vote were major factors in Roosevelt’s reelection for a second term in 1936.

Roosevelt's black advisors in 1938

References

Boyle, Kevin. “African-Americans in the New Deal.” The New York Times. The New York Times, May 12, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/12/books/review/the-black-cabinet-jill-watts.html?searchResultPosition=1.

Daniel, Walter C. and Patrick J. Huber. ""the Voice of the Negro" and the Atlanta Riot of 1906: A Problem in Freedom of the Press." Journalism History 17, no. 1 (Spring, 1990): 23. http://libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/voice-negro-atlanta-riot-1906-problem-freedom/docview/1300126074/se-2.

“Lucy Reeves” Interview by Geneva Tonsill, date June 21, 1939, Folder 256, Federal Writers’ Project papers #3709, Southern Historical Collection, the Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Murphy, Mary-Elizabeth B. “African Americans in the Great Depression and New Deal.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of American History. Oxford University Press, November 19, 2020. https://oxfordre.com/americanhistory/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199329175.001.0001/acrefore-9780199329175-e-632.

Preston, Howard L. “The Automobile Business in Atlanta, 1909-1920: A Symbol of ‘New South’ Prosperity.” The Georgia Historical Quarterly 58, no. 2 (1974): 262–77. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40579689.

Warren, Michael. “Atlanta's Image Challenged by Facts of 1906 Race Massacre.” AP NEWS. Associated Press, August 3, 2022. https://apnews.com/article/Atlanta-race-massacre-9d738b6fa08d26ec91adfcd8fff30f7f.