Perspectives

Historical perspective

Langston Hughes' short story “One Friday Morning” is set in 1940s America and points to several aspects of the discrimination that African Americans faced at that time. In many US states, racial segregation was enforced through law and social norms and customs. In general, this meant that African Americans had access to different – and usually lower quality– public facilities, services, and opportunities than whites. 

Policies of segregation were strictly enforced in the South of the US, but discriminatory practices took various forms throughout the country. For example, while segregation was never imposed through law in the North, nearly all African Americans attended schools that had only African-American students and teachers. 

As suggested by the story, unofficially segregated neighborhoods existed as well. As the civil rights movement began to fight for legal and civil rights for African Americans in the 1950s, the practice of segregation was challenged and eventually outlawed through the Civil R...