Final answer:
African Americans felt outraged by President Roosevelt's speeches because his actions demonstrated a lack of commitment to genuine racial equality and civil rights, contributing to persistent racial injustices during his presidency.
Step-by-step explanation:
African Americans were often outraged after hearing President Roosevelt's speeches because Roosevelt's policies, and responses to events, frequently fell short of promoting genuine racial equality and civil rights. The president demonstrated this through various acts, such as the dishonorable discharge of three companies of black infantry after a violent incident, and his reluctance to support African Americans aggressively within the New Deal. Roosevelt's inadequate measures in the face of blatant racial discrimination, such as the underemployment of African Americans in industries vital to the war effort, starkly contrasted the reality of African Americans with the American ideal of democracy and equal opportunity.
Moreover, the president's actions or inaction, in certain cases, reflected a pattern of neglecting African American rights and yielding to the racist sentiments of white Southerners for political support. This was evident in the way New Deal programs perpetuated segregation and limited job opportunities for African Americans in the South. Additionally, while Eleanor Roosevelt took a public stance advocating for civil rights, President Roosevelt himself avoided public alignment with black leaders and civil rights legislation, which caused further disappointment and outrage among African Americans.
Despite a degree of support, FDR's compromise with Southern Democrats and the conservative views of the era resulted in African Americans continuing to face racial inequality and limited employment opportunities, particularly in certain industries such as the aircraft industry. His decision to meet with black leaders while not demonstrating strong public support for their causes, and the lack of full commitment to civil rights, prompted a sentiment of betrayal among many African Americans, who saw a contradiction between the American ideals being promoted abroad and the discrimination being practiced at home. These circumstances fueled a sense of outrage as they underscored the hypocrisy and racial injustices that persisted during Roosevelt's presidency.