Question

Why might someone argue that the federal government played a key role in making African Americans second class citizens?

Answer 1

The reason why someone might argue that the federal government played a key role in making African Americans second class citizens is that, the federal government is the one who decided the rights of the African Americans like not allowing them to vote, and permitting slavery and segregation. 

Answer 2

The Federal government itself supported segregationists principles in civil and military service for a long time (It was only in 1948 that Truman desegregated the armed forces). Much Federal legislation explicitly excluded coverage of types of jobs that were filled by blacks. This pushed African Americans to become “second class citizens. Segregation was a national problem and the Federal government failed to fight it for a long time.