The Great Depression and the African American Community Essay

The Great Depression and the African American Community - Essay Example This is how Robin D.G Kelly Professor of Anthropology and African-American Studies at Columbia University, described â€Å"The Great Depression† in his book â€Å"Oh Freedom†. The book describes how the Depression affected all sections of society and more so the African Americans. Life during the Depression was extremely tough as people lived in abject poverty. Most of the African Americans lived in the rural areas and their living conditions were horrendous as they had lost all they had. It was the stock market crash that brought about the â€Å"Great Depression†. International trade declined sharply and had a great impact on industrialized countries, taxes, prices and profits. In the 20th century, the automobile industry has brought about sweeping changes by way of employment, modern infrastructure and good distribution. That is why the automobile is considered to be a â€Å"marvel of modern invention†. The African Americans who lived in the urban areas suffered badly doing manual labor to earn money for their sustenance.