The State Park Movement gained momentum during the 1940s and 1950s due to the Civilian Conservation Corps. Many state parks were built by Black Civilian Conservation Corps units. However, state parks were usually off-limits to African Americans, and only a handful of segregated state parks existed. A study from 1954 documented that in the South, there were 180 state parks available for White people while only 18 state parks were available for African Americans.
References:
- Fechner, Robert. “State Park Development under the Civilian Conservation Corps Program.” In American Planning and Civil Annual, ed. Harlean James, 204-7. Washington: American Planning and Civil Association, 1937.
- History.com Editors. “Civilian Conservation Corps.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, May 11, 2010.
- Landrum, C. Ney. 2013. The State Park Movement in America: a Critical Review. University of Missouri.