Reference no: EM133319403

Case: "The Jim Crow" laws of separation and disenfranchisement constituted the formal, "codified method of racial apartheid that dominated the American South for three-quarters of the period beginning in the 1890s." These forces influenced nearly every aspect of daily life, requiring the separation of schools, parks, libraries, drinking fountains, restrooms, buses, trains, and restaurants. "Whites only" and "colored" signs served as constant reminders of the imposed racial hierarchy. "In legal theory, blacks received "separate but equal" treatment under this system-in practice, common facilities for blacks were almost always inferior to those for whites, if they existed at all." "In addition, blacks were routinely denied the right to vote through the selective application of literacy tests and other racially motivated measures." With Jim Crow laws in place, African-Americans were discriminated against based on the color of their skin, had their rights revoked, and did not have a fair advantage in basic things.

"African Americans were made second-class citizens." "Jim Crow represented the formalization of anti-black racism." "Many Christian ministers and theologians taught that whites were the Chosen People, that blacks were cursed to be servants, and that racial segregation was sanctioned by God." "Louisiana passed the" "Separate Car Law" "in 1890, ostensibly to improve passenger comfort by creating" "equal but separate" "cars for blacks and whites." "This was a trick." "There were no equal facilities in public accommodations, including railway travel, for blacks." "Under Louisiana law, blacks were not permitted to sit in coach seats reserved for whites, and whites were not permitted to sit in seats reserved for blacks." "Jim Crow states enacted laws that strictly regulated racial interactions." "Jim Crow signs were placed above water fountains, door entrances and exits, and in front of public facilities," according to the report. "There were separate hospitals for blacks and whites, separate prisons, separate public and private schools, separate churches, cemeteries, public restrooms, and public accommodations for blacks and whites (Ferris 3)."

"Several groups of citizens have struggled throughout American history for rights that English law had denied them." "In the United States, this social movement is about this race of African Americans." "For a time, they did not have the same rights as whites because of their skin color." "The injustice meted out to African Americans triggered a period of cultural upheaval." "Blacks grew up in the 1950s and 1960s to defend against the cultural organizations and national agencies that had brought these rights about." "Some white people backed their race." "The Court upheld the Louisiana law by a 7-2 vote, declaring that racial separation did not necessarily imply a loss of equality." "In practice, Plessy symbolized the legitimacy of two societies: one white and prosperous, and the other black, impoverished, and despised." "Grandfather clauses (laws limiting the right to vote to people whose ancestors had voted before the Civil War), poll taxes (fees charged to poor blacks), white primaries (only Democrats could vote, and only Democrats could be Democrats), and literacy tests ("Name all the Vice Presidents and Supreme Court Justices throughout America's history") all denied blacks the right to vote. (Ferris 4) Similarly, the spirit of Jim Crow is alive and well in recent voting law changes that make it more difficult for black people to vote." "It lives on in our communities' segregation and the unequal distribution of educational opportunities across race lines." "It lives on in zoning laws, which raze some neighborhoods to make way for highways, allowing others to commute faster." "It manifests itself in certain banks' predatory lending practices in traditionally black American communities."

"African Americans were mistreated." Jim Crow laws and etiquette were backed up by both actual and threatened violence. "Blacks who disobeyed Jim Crow laws, such as drinking from the white water fountain or voting, faced losing their homes, jobs, and even their lives." Under the degrading Jim Crow system, black citizens in Alabama faced daily legal and physical abuse. They were segregated from whites in schools, restaurants, theaters, public transportation, and almost every other area, and treated as second-class citizens. The Jim Crow system was founded on the beliefs or rationalizations that whites were superior to blacks in all important ways, including intelligence, morality, and civilized behavior.

The Jim Crow system was an oppressive regime that denied basic rights to African Americans. Jim Crow laws were a form of racial discrimination that limited where black people could live, work, and attend school. Under Jim Crow, blacks were also subjected to violence and intimidation. The Jim Crow system was eventually challenged and demolished by the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

To summarize, the Jim Crow era was a period of great injustice for African Americans. They were denied their fundamental rights and faced violence and discrimination. African Americans were able to achieve equality and put an end to the Jim Crow system thanks to the civil rights movement.