Bailey: ON APRIL 11, 1913,
RECENTLY INAUGURATED PRESIDENT
WOODROW WILSON
RECEIVED A PLAN FROM POSTMASTER
GENERAL ALBERT BURLESON
TO RACIALLY SEGREGATE
THE RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE.
MR. BURLESON SAID
THAT HE FOUND IT INTOLERABLE
THAT WHITE AND BLACK EMPLOYEES
HAD TO WORK TOGETHER
AND SHARE DRINKING GLASSES
AND WASHROOMS.
THAT SENTIMENT
WAS SHARED BY OTHERS
IN PRESIDENT WILSON'S
ADMINISTRATION.
BY THE END OF 1913,
BLACK EMPLOYEES
IN SEVERAL FEDERAL DEPARTMENTS
HAD BEEN RELEGATED TO SEPARATE
OR SCREENED-OFF WORK AREAS
AND SEGREGATED LAVATORIES
AND LUNCH ROOMS.
IN ADDITION TO THIS PHYSICAL
SEPARATION FROM WHITES,
BLACK FEDERAL WORKERS WERE
APPOINTED TO MENIAL POSITIONS
OR REASSIGNED
TO JOBS SLATED FOR ELIMINATION.
ALTHOUGH IMPLEMENTED
BY HIS SUBORDINATES,
PRESIDENT WILSON DEFENDED
RACIAL SEGREGATION
IN HIS ADMINISTRATION
AS IN THE BEST INTEREST
OF BLACKS.
SEGREGATION
IN FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT
WAS SEEN AS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT
BLOW TO BLACK RIGHTS
SINCE SLAVERY
AND SEEMED TO SIGNIFY
OFFICIAL PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL
OF JIM CROW POLICIES
IN THE SOUTH.
AFTER BACKLASH THAT INCLUDED
ORGANIZED PROTESTS BY THE NAACP,
SEGREGATED LAVATORY SIGNS
WERE REMOVED.
BUT DISCRIMINATORY CUSTOMS
PERSISTED,
AND THERE WAS
LITTLE CONCRETE EVIDENCE
OF ACTUAL POLICY REVERSAL.
