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The Social Security Act is passed, creating an "Old Age Assistance" program for elderly American citizens.

1935

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The Social Security Act is enacted on August 14, 1935. The act, which was drafted during President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first term by the President's Committee on Economic Security under Frances Perkins, is passed by Congress as part of the New Deal.

The act establishes a system of "old age" benefits for workers, benefits for victims of industrial accidents, unemployment insurance, aid for dependent mothers and children, and people with disabilities.

Prior to Social Security, the elderly routinely faced the prospect of poverty upon retirement. This legislation provides federal funding to states to provide cash assistance to their "destitute aged residents." During this period, Social Security becomes a primary payor for individuals receiving in-home care.

However, about half of the workers in the United States, particularly agricultural and domestic workers, are excluded from Social Security. While this is not explicitly a race-based exclusion, the majority of people holding these jobs are People of Color, with the majority of domestic workers being African-American at the time.