Short Film Premiere: "Reshaping the Democratic Party"
The fourth of five short films we're releasing this year as part of our special exhibit: "Black Americans, Civil Rights, and the Roosevelts."
Before FDR, Black Americans voted for the Republican Party - the party of Lincoln. That began to change in the 1930s at least partially through the influence of Mary McLeod Bethune who understood that if she helped court the African American vote, Roosevelt would have to pay more attention to their concerns.