4. There were few racial clashes in the 1950s
This myth is reflected in the television programs and films which were presented to the American people in the 1950s. The 1950s saw the birth of the situation comedy in American entertainment, nearly all of which were set in the emerging suburbs of the era. Programs such as I Love Lucy, which originated in New York City but eventually moved to the suburbs, presented a biracial couple, though that fact is seldom commented on. Instead, the program focused on marriage, rather than racial tensions. The Latino Ricky Ricardo’s main problems on the show were keeping his wife, Lucy, focused on remaining in the home, rather than entering a show business career. Other programs, such as Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, all focused on the life of White American families and their lives in suburban America.
Racial tensions in the 1950s were high in America. The Montgomery Bus Boycott occurred during the decade (1955), one of the first large-scale protests against segregation in the United States. Violence during the boycott and in its aftermath was considerable. Though the buses were integrated, many bus stops were not, and racial conflicts occurred at many of them. In other parts of the United States, protests against integration led to clashes between Black and White mobs, and violence by local law enforcement. Although reported by newspapers and recorded by cameras for presentation on the emerging televised newscasts, the entertainment industry ignored them. Instead, they depicted America as a prosperous, happy nation, with the problems of family life, particularly those of children, the main focus of the decade. That myth continues well into the 21st century, making the fifties the “good old days” when American life was great.