Jim Crow Laws

By Joseph Devine
The history of racism in the United States is known to virtually everyone who resides in the 50 states, as well those people who reside outside of the United States. Soon after their arrival in North America, immigrant settlers began importing slaves. Gradually, as the 13 colonies expanded and increasing amounts of slaves began to be brought over from Africa, settlers began more and more attached to slavery.

Because of the importance of slavery to people of the South, they were willing to secede from the Union, as they attempted to do in 1861, sparking the Civil War. After the South lost the Civil War and had to cease slavery, however, they were not willing to let blacks gain equal rights. As a result, the Southern states instituted a number of racist laws discriminating against blacks. These laws were called Jim Crow laws.

Jim Crow laws were first enacted in 1876. They sought to segregate blacks from white completely. Blacks and whites had different bathrooms. They had to use different water fountains. They had to sit at the back of buses. As time progressed, Jim Crow laws worsened. Many Southern states passed many laws effectively barring blacks from voting. For example, they instituted something called a Grandfather Clause, whereby for people to be allowed to vote, their grandfather had to vote. But because blacks' grandfathers could not vote, neither could the blacks during Jim Crow. Another law instituted by many Southern states was the literacy test, whereby voters had to be literate to to vote. But because almost all blacks could not read, they were prevented from voting.

Jim Crow laws lasted until 1965, when the Supreme Court effectively ruled them unconstitutional. But up until 1965, blacks had endured harsh treatment from whites. Blacks were lynched left and right. They were spat at, hosed, and cursed at. They suffered from inadequate social, political, and economic opportunities, and all of the discrimination was institutionalized based on heavy racism that whites possessed.

While racism has died down today and discriminatory and racist laws and practices are illegal, discrimination through at least subconscious racism still occurs. The effects of Jim Crow laws and racism have trickled down to the modern-day. Blacks tend to mix and mingle for the most part with another, and many people avoid them or have prejudiced or stereotyped views of them based in racist beliefs. Also, blacks often face discrimination in the workplace. They sometimes get passed up in favor of whites for promotion, for example.

For more information on discrimination against not only African-Americans but other groups as well, visit the website of Orange County employment discrimination lawyers of Perry Smith at http://www.orangecountyemploymentlawyers.com.

Joseph Devine

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