Philadelphia voter registration photograph, 1944
Permanent ID:
12981Date:
September 19 1944Image Description:
Philadelphia Registration 1944City Hall Annex
Much to the dismay of Black Republicans in the 1930s, an increase in Black voters correlated with an increase in registered Democrats, and this correlation proved critical during the 1932, 1936, and 1940 presidential elections. One hot topic among White voters was answering the "Negro Question," and Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the then-candidate for re-election into the United States presidency, Franklin Delano, was known as an advocate for citizenship equality. The number of Black registered Democrats continued to increase, and the party secured another win for Roosevelt in the 1944 election.
Inscription:
Philadelphia Registration 1944City Hall Annex
Well Worth Waiting For: That was the conclusion last night of Robert Jones, 99, who waited two and a half hours at City Hall Annex so he could register and vote for President Roosevelt. Jones, who lives at 921 S. 18th st., was born in slavery in North Carolina in 1845, and freed by President Lincoln's Proclamation. That, he said, "was the last time the Republicans ever did anything for me." He voted for F.D.R. in '32, '36, and '40. (Verso)