The 1862 Homestead Act
This act gave away an overwhelming number of acreage to white settlers out west — land that had been previously settled by Native Americans. According to California News Reel, nearly 270 million acres of Indian Territory was converted to private property for white settlers.
The Social Security Act of 1935
Enacted under President Roosevelt’s New Deal, the Social Security Act provided a financial safety net for millions of workers and guaranteed that they would continue to be paid after retirement. But this luxury didn’t extend to everyone, however. The act excluded agricultural and domestic laborers, many of whom were Black, Mexican and Asian.
The G.I. Education Bill, Veteran Administration Housing Authority, and Health Care System
Because of these government programs, (mostly white) members of the armed forces were able to continue their education, guaranteed private housing, and granted access to a public health care system. Many of these benefits were reserved for white veterans, however. For the handful of Black veterans who could participate in these programs, their benefits were still fewer than those of their white counterparts.