Civil rights was and still is an ever changing picture. In the 1950s, civil rights went from being a generally southern issue, to being a national concern. The issues of the day began to be spilled out over a new medium called television. During the 1950s, television had become popular and spread throughout the United States. The racial issues of the south were now being seen in living rooms across the nation. The 1950s laid the groundwork for what would become the massive civil rights movement of the 60s. The laying of this foundation was not without failure and not without its share of problems. The issues of the day were not only reflected on the television screen, but on the theatrical stages of New York City. I will discuss the major issues and some of the ways that race was reflected in the plays of the time.In the early 1950s and throughout, the nation made steps forward while continuing to take steps backwards. Colleges began to allow some black students while slamming the door in the faces of others. Laws against burning crosses and wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods in public were passed in some states, while remaining in others. African Americans were treated better by many people, but they were still looked down upon by many.On May 17, 1954 the Supreme Court unanimously overturned the separate but equal doctrine in a case called Brown v. Board of Education. The doctrine, originally stated in an 1896 case called Plessy v. Ferguson, allowed states the right to have segregated facilities as long as the facilities were of the same quality. This had led to the intricate system of Jim Crow laws in the south, which had legally allowed separate schools, hospitals, restrooms, and water fountains. Brown v. Board of Education outlawed the segregation of public schools and other facilities. While this marked a major step forward in the civil rights movement of the 1950s, the reality was much more harsh. Blacks in the south we...
