Franklin D. Roosevelt played a significant role in advancing Civil Rights for African Americans during his presidency. While his efforts were not always flawless, he took some important steps towards racial equality.

One of Roosevelt's most well-known accomplishments in Black history was his Executive Order 8802, signed in 1941, which prohibited racial discrimination in the defense industry. This order was a response to pressure from civil rights activists and organizations such as A. Philip Randolph's Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, who had threatened a march on Washington to protest discrimination in defense industry jobs.

Roosevelt also appointed several African Americans to key positions in his administration, including the first Black federal judge, William H. Hastie, and the first Black presidential advisor, Mary McLeod Bethune. Additionally, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was a vocal advocate for civil rights and worked to promote racial equality during her husband's presidency.

However, it is important to note that Roosevelt's record on Civil Rights was mixed. He did not initially support anti-lynching legislation or federal anti-discrimination laws, and the New Deal programs often excluded Black Americans from full participation. Despite these shortcomings, Roosevelt's presidency marked an important step forward in the fight for racial equality in the United States.