It cannot be stated with certainty that these events were merely
calculated responses to the changing world situation, but the
Cold War and the emergence of an independent Africa were
nevertheless realities which could not be overlooked. Ghana had
gained its status as an independent nation. It had also sought
and gained admission to the United Nations in 1957, and in that
same year, opened an embassy in Washington. African diplomats,
traveling through the United States, were outraged whenever they
were confronted by humiliations which were the consequence of
segregation. Communist leaders, at the same time, took great
pleasure in pointing out to these Africans the mistreatments of
Afro-Americans within the United States. Although many Southern
whites continued to insist that their freedom to maintain a
separate society apart from that of the blacks was an essential
part of democracy as they understood it, most Americans found
legal segregation to be embarrassing in the face of America's
claim to the democratic leadership of the world. Afro-Americans
exploited the situation in order to involve the Federal
Government in their desegregation campaign.
Pages:
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372