The Fabulous Fifties

By time Korean War ended, in 1953, fifty thousand Americans had returned home in coffins. With end of War came President Eisenhower's promise of a bright future for United States. It was beginning of an economic boom unlike any in history of Country. For first time since Great Depression of 1929 America was not in crisis. During latter part of 1953 mass consumerism was on rise and money was in bank. Americans moved up to "middle class" at rate of one million a year and real wages were rising at an unprecedented 4.5% yearly. It was a time of conformity when men, dressed in gray flannel suits and white shirts, went to their white-collar jobs and women kept home fires burning in their pastel, "cookie cutter" houses of America's new suburbia. Life centered around stability of home and family and 97% of marriageable men and women were married, it was a couples society and they were all having children, baby boom was in full swing.. Americans began their love affair with TV during early part of decade and by mid 50s 3/4 of them owned a television set and spent 1/3 of their waking hours watching I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, Jack Benny, Queen for A Day, What's My Line, Ed Sullivan and American Bandstand. Consumerism flourished as television ads convinced viewers of need to keep up with "Jones'" by owning latest gadgets and goods. For Black citizens, in midst of this new American prosperity, life remained unchanged but change was in air. The 1954 United States Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education was among most significant turning points in development of our country. It dismantled legal basis for racial segregation in schools and other public facilities by declaring that discriminatory nature of racial segregation ... "violates 14th amendment to U.S. Constitution, which guarantees all citizens equal protection of laws," The southern states resisted integration. On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks, weary from an exhausting day of work as a seamstress, boarded a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She sat in black section at back of bus but when white seats had filled she was told to give up her seat to a white man. Rosa Parks refused and in so doing became first prominent figure of what became Movement. The twenty-six year old minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. led black citizens in a non-violent boycott of Montgomery buses. During boycott white extremists bombed Kings home. The boycott continued for 381 days until, in 1956, Federal Supreme ruled to desegregate buses. In 1957 President Eisenhower sent in 101st Airborne to accompany Arkansas Nine to classes at Central High in Little Rock. Three weeks earlier black students were prevented by white students, teachers and parents from entering school in spite of Brown v. The Board of Education ruling.

Planning Starts With The Basics

When developing a plan for your finances, toughest question often is: “Where do I begin?” Before investing in stocks and bonds or buying life insurance, before implementing any change or making any decisions, you first need to analyze and understand your entire financial picture. Two documents allow you to do just that. A Balance Sheet and a Cash Flow Statement enable you to take an in-depth look at your current financial situation and make better decisions about future. With a little work, you can develop these two tools and be on your way to a solid plan for your finances.