The Federal Council of Negro Affairs was an informal organization of Black American advisors to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during the 1930s and 1940s. Known as the Black Cabinet, this group led by the social activist Mary McLeod Bethune played a crucial role in advocating for civil rights and equality in various aspects of government policy, including access to outdoor recreation in public spaces.
One of the key figures in the Black Cabinet was William Trent, an economist and nonprofit who served as an advisor to the Secretary of the Interior, Harold L. Ickes. The Black Cabinet pressured the Roosevelt administration to implement policies that promoted the integration of picnic areas and campgrounds on federally managed land. Particularly for the benefit of Black servicemen returning home from World War II, their work helped to raise awareness of racial injustices and pushed for changes that laid the groundwork for the eventual desegregation of our national parks by Secretary Ickes in 1950.
Learn more on the Joy Trip Project Podcast
The Joy Trip Project celebrates the enduring legacy of Black American History. The Unhidden Minute is part of the Unhidden Podcast Project supported through a National Geographic Explorer Grant from the National Geographic Society, with the cooperation of the National Park Service. This series elevates the untold stories of Black American historical figures, events and cultural contributions.
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The Black Cabinet