The paths of Roma and African Americans diverged sharply after World War II, when Europe was cleaved in half by the victors of the war. Western Europe allied itself with the U.S., embracing capitalism and democracy, while Eastern Europe – including CSEE, where the majority of the continent’s Roma lived – adopted Socialism and Communism. For both Roma and African Americans, the postwar years ushered in unparalleled gains, though under very different paradigms.