Premium Essay

The Civil Rights Movement: The Jim Crow Laws

Submitted By
Words 1844
Pages 8
How would you feel if you were told that you couldn’t sit in the front of a bus or that you couldn’t dine in certain restaurants because of the color of your skin? The Civil Rights Movement refers to the political, social and economical struggle of African Americans to gain full citizenship and racial equality. The movement held many nonviolent protest against racial segregation and discrimination in America especially in the South during the 1950s and 60s. Although African Americans began to fight for equal rights during the days of slavery, the quest for equality is still going on today. Every since the European settlement whites enslaved and oppressed people of color. When the slaves were freed by the 13th amendment that abolished …show more content…
The enforcement of the Jim Crow Laws began shortly after the Reconstruction Era around 1890 and continued to be enforced until 1965. Starting in 1890 America came up with a “separate but equal” status for African Americans. The Jim Crow Laws were were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. This body of law institutionalized a number of economic, educational, and social disadvantages. In essence the Jim Crow laws were about power, power of one race over the other. These laws really highlighted the flaws and weakness of human nature. It was a group of people asserting power over another for the pride of a political system that was the cost of many American lives during the Civil War. One of the many court cases that was very important especially concerning the Jim Crow laws was the Plessy vs. Ferguson court case. Homer Plessy a man of mixed race (one eighth African descent) boarded a train in Louisiana that had a “whites only” sign. When he sat in the white section he was asked to get up and once he refused he was then arrested and put on trial. Plessy’s lawyers argued that the state law which required Louisana to segregate trains had denied him his rights under the 13th and 14th amendments …show more content…
The Boycott was a political and social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery Alabama. Because of the Jim Crow laws African Americans were forced to ride at the back of buses and were frequently ordered to give up their seat even though blacks made up 75% of the bus riders. The campaign started when a black woman by the name of Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on December 5, 1955. Even though this was the start of the boycott, Rosa Parks was not the first person to refused to give up her seat but because of her image she was chosen to be the face of the Civil Rights Movement. The boycott consisted of black people refusing to take the bus, instead they walked and some people carpooled with each other. Eventually the bus companies started to lose money because of the

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

How Did Jim Crow Laws Influence The Civil Rights Movement

...race-propelled brutality. Jim Crow laws at the local and state levels banned blacks from classrooms and bathrooms, from theaters and train automobiles, from juries and overseeing bodies. ("Shad's Blog | Adventures and Random Thoughts," n.d.) In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the "separate but equal" rule that surrounded why state-supported isolation, drawing national and overall respect for African-Americans’ circumstance. In this fierce decade, a substantial part of that took after, social freedoms activists which used sit in and regular rebellion to accomplish change, and the administration gained legitimate ground. ("Shad's Blog | Adventures and Random Thoughts," n.d.) The Voting Rights Demonstration of 1965 and the Social liberties Demonstration of 1968 helped with this cause. Various pioneers from inside the African American group rose to obviousness in the midst of the Social equality, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and Andrew Goodman. The starting age of the black action in the post-Brown period started on December 1, 1955. Rosa...

Words: 529 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Civil Rights Movement Research Paper

...Civil Rights Movement in the USA The Civil Rights Movement was a movement to secure for African Americans equal access to and opportunities for the basic privileges and rights of U.S citizenship. Although the base of the movement go back to the 19th century, it peaked in the 1950s and 1960s. The civil rights movement took place after the ending of the civil war in the early 1860s. Laws such as the “Jim Crow Laws” enforced this racial segregation in the southern Uunited Sstates. These laws continued in force until 1965 acting to keep the white dominance in Aamerica. Jim Crow Laws were created in the American South after the Civil war. These laws mandated racial segregation in all public facilities in states of the former confederate states...

Words: 689 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The New Jim Crow Book Summary

...A book “The New Jim Crow” is written by Michelle Alexander, who is a legal scholar and civil rights litigator. It is published in 2010 by The New Press. The name comes from the old Jim Crow laws, which prevailed in the former federal state of the United States by the 1960s. The book covers the race in the United States related to the social, political and legal phenomenon, and tried the term "The New Jim Crow" applies to African Americans in the contemporary American situation. The new Jim Crow told a truth that is the United States has been reluctant to face. The New Jim Crow has lead to millions of African Americans locked behind bars in the United States, then denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement, and at the same time transferred to a permanent second-class status. Alexander's book is in the New York Times bestseller list for 10 consecutive months, and philosopher Cornel West has called it the "secular bible for a new social movement in early twenty-first-century America." And led to the reentry centers, community centers, churches, university, and national prisons raise awareness efforts. Author...

Words: 450 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Jim Crow Laws

...Jim Crow Laws What would you think if you were to go to the bathroom and see a sign stating that there was a separate bathroom for African Americans, likely one that was in much worse shape? This would have been very common in America in the 1930s. According to Clive Gifford, author of “World Issues, Racism”, “Racial discrimination denies members of one racial group access open to others” (Gifford 19). Racial discrimination has taken place several times throughout history, even in the form of laws, such as the Jim Crow Laws. Jim Crow laws were prejudiced laws that supported racial segregation in the United States for several decades. THE START OF JIM CROW LAWS Jim Crow laws began in the United States around the 1880s (“Jim Crow Laws” 1)....

Words: 1665 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Internet Search Assignment

...Political Ignorance: Hatred amongst African Americans in US History Tia Taylor Eth 125 Political Ignorance: Hatred amongst African Americans in US History Thanks for visiting the Blogsite again. You may think this will be just another opinionated article on African American culture being posted because it’s voting season. In fact, you’re correct. This article was dedicated to provide a realistic inside look into the history of the African American culture because there is a trend of American citizens stating they are voting for Obama because he is black. There are quite a few who have no other reason as to why they are voting for him other than that and since they may not be able to explain their answer, maybe this will help those that are angry and/or confused. Yes, it is quite simple minded to say you’re voting for Obama because he is black. It is also quite simple minded to say a person who said that is ignorant. In fact, we must remember that those who state that may have happened to grow up under a long ancestry of racism and hate just as the white kid down the street who draws Nazi symbols on his desk at school. Just like him and his older brother who might be a prejudice employee at his job, it’s not their fault they are that way. It was their environment and maybe if you understand a person’s environment and their background, you will understand why statements like this are being made all over social media websites. I’ll make these breakdowns as short and simple...

Words: 1679 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

How Did The Civil Rights And Jim Crow Laws Reduce Hate Crimes?

...Hate crimes have been reported throughout history, but they gained significant attention during the Civil Rights Movement and Jim Crow laws in the United States. During this time, African Americans faced discrimination and harm, leading to the Civil Rights Act of 1968, which sparked the growth and awareness of hate crimes. Laws have been passed in many areas to decrease hate crimes and protect communities. Americans and African Americans fought for equality for twenty years. The Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s aimed to end racial discrimination, segregation, and ensure equal rights for African Americans under the law. Key amendments, such as the 24th Amendment, which eliminated poll taxes, and the 15th Amendment, which aimed to...

Words: 252 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Historical Report on Race

...Unfortunately, after being released from human slavery and bondage, African Americans had to endure many years of poor treatment and discrimination by members of the American public. After the legislation that was enacted forbidding and punishing discriminatory behavior in society, African Americans were finally able to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Although human equality is still a tremendous work in progress in our society today, after years of decrementing struggles and tribulations, the African American is finally treated like an equal citizen in society. The adverse reality that African Americans did not have the equal right and opportunity to live their lives as free men and women, has set a staggering mark in American history. African Americans were bought and sold like cattle and never looked at as humans but rather property. The laws were designed to benefit the White American and the slave owner and did not recognize the slave as a citizen. Although slavery was made illegal in the Northern regions in 1787, it was not until 1808 before slavery was outlawed and freedom was granted to African Americans throughout the United States. Even though African American freedom was finally established, the African American still faced maltreatment and injustice in society. Because of the twisted roots and views the White American had toward African Americans, they still continued to suffer the act of denial of equal opportunities in society, and found...

Words: 1053 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Civil Rights Movement

...Civil Rights Movement Marilyn Hemingway History 300 May 08, 2013 Dr. Goldstein African Americans have experienced racial discrimination in virtually every single area of their lives. America has come a long way since the 1800’s when slavery was common, but that road certainly hasn’t been easy or short for Black American. Not long after the Civil War ended, African Americans experienced a form of racial segregation called Jim Crow. The name "Jim Crow" originated from a character in an early nineteenth-century minstrel show song. A white minstrel blackened his face and jigged around while singing. The "Jim Crow" character regularly appeared in minstrel shows touring the South. Eventually, Jim Crow became the name of the racial caste system which operated primarily, but not exclusively, in southern and Border States. These laws legalized segregation from the 1860’s through 1967. The most widespread laws mandated racial segregation in schools and public places such as railroads, restaurants, and streetcars. Since segregation laws typically excluded African Americans from services, Jim Crow laws began as an attempt to move forward by providing separate services for blacks. These laws were adopted earliest in most southern towns and municipalities where diverse crowds lived. These communities passed vagrancy laws that controlled the influx of black homeless migrants. Many southern states during the...

Words: 2034 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Second Reconstruction Research Paper

...The modern Civil Rights movement in the United States was a pivotal period marked by significant strides toward racial equality. Historians have often drawn parallels between this era and the period immediately following the Civil War, known as Reconstruction, prompting some to refer to the modern Civil Rights movement as the "Second Reconstruction." This comparison highlights both the enduring struggle for African American civil rights and the efforts to address the legacy of racial oppression in America. The Reconstruction era sought to establish civil rights for African Americans through constitutional amendments and federal legislation. However, these gains were short-lived as they faced significant backlash from Southern states and white...

Words: 916 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Emmett Till Thesis

...the beginning of the African American Civil Rights Act. This act fought against segregation and Jim Crow laws.The murder of Emmett Till is important for American citizens to know about because it boomed across the nation bringing attention to racism and segregation and started the outbreak of the Civil Rights Movement Emmett Till was in Money, Mississippi visiting his uncle. Emmett was brutally murdered for flirting with a white women. He was killed by the woman’s husband and her brother. They killed him and threw him into a river. Emmett told his friends in mississippi that he had a white girlfriend back home but they didn't believe him so they dared him to go flirt with the white lady inside the store. He...

Words: 681 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Racial Biases In Criminal Justice Essay

...The right to due process by law is afforded to every American as of the pivotal ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment on July 9, 1868. This amendment guaranteed every American equal and impartial treatment within the justice system. However, within the flawed institution that is the United States justice system, race is undeniably a pivotal factor in the outcome of the legal process. From the disproportionate rates of police stops to the severity of prosecutions and even the likelihood of facing the death penalty, race has evident and extensive influence. The deep-rooted prejudices held against minorities within the American justice system stand in direct opposition to the fundamental respect for human rights that is vital in the maintenance of democracy. Prejudice...

Words: 1571 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

How Did Rosa Parks Influence The Civil Rights Movement

...Boycott which was the spark that ignited the modern-day Civil Rights Movement. The feeling for the times Rosa Parks lived in, from the days of Jim Crow laws which allowed for segregation in schools, on buses and trains, to her involvement as an officer of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Archival footage and historical reenactments make the story of (Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement) come alive for students. Rosa parks wasn't scared if they took her, but she was worried.she was always taken a test she didn't pass so she kept on...

Words: 485 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King Jr.

...After the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation were passed on January 1 in 1963, African Americans were never fully granted their freedom as citizens until decades later. The Civil Rights Movement was a period of non-violent protesting against racial prejudice towards people of color and to gain equal rights under the law in America. Many African American women and men, along with several whites, led and coordinated the movement to nationwide and regional levels. They protested through legal means, arbitrations, petitions, and nonviolent protest demonstrations. Some major Civil Rights Leaders who ultimately helped the movement become prosperous included, Dorothy Height, John Lewis and the eminent Martin Luther King Jr. The Civil rights...

Words: 1621 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

How Did Martin Luther King Do To Progress The Civil Rights Movement

...equal rights. But before all of that he was also very smart and passionate, he skipped 9th and 12th grade only being 15 when he graduated and he also entered college at 15. ( Classroomhelp ). Without Martin Luther King Jr. elping to end Jim Crow LawsA major factor in the success of the movement was the strategy of protesting for equal rights without using violence., discrimination and without...

Words: 533 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

March On Washington Research Paper

...March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the united face of America in the 1960’s (“1963 Civil Rights March on Washington”). This key event during the Civil Rights movement pushed forward in the creation of the Civil Rights Bill, which granted everyone the freedom to vote and outlawed segregation acts. Even if someone’s ancestors were not discriminated against because of skin color the protest still showed a path to equal rights to all genders, nationalities and religions. The time of the march was perfect in itself, happening during the peak of inequality protests and setting...

Words: 603 - Pages: 3