Did Racial Segregation Improve the Status of African Americans?

Segregation played a major role throughout the lives of the African Americans. They were viewed as unequal, and were set apart from the norms of society. In the South, the African Americans were forced to use water fountains for blacks only. They were refused service at many local restaurants, and forced to give up their seat on the bus to a white individual. African Americans wanted and needed to take action to gain equality. Throughout the years, they tried all they could to obtain equality and enjoy the same freedoms as the white population.

The segregation took place in churches, railroads, and schools, prisons, etc. There was also segregation in public housing, which caused the creation of “Nigger Hill,” “New Guinea,” and “Little Africa.” The more western north barred African American from coming into the state in same way. After the Civil war, the north had shown its position on white supremacy through its actions. Abraham Lincoln and the winning politic party also believed the same ideas of White Supremacy as shown by Lincoln’s speech,” I am not…in favor of brining about in any way the social and political equality of the black and white… I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.”

The thesis of the book is that segregation of black and whites was developed later in life than it did when slavery was just introduce. In the earlier years blacks and white would live within the same residence and or property, sharing the same premises if not equal facilities. The black and white would attend the same church and sit in the pews. As life progress and economics and Political conflicts took place that’s when the segregation began.

Despite nearly one hundred years passing since the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans in Southern States were still faced with the most distinct forms of racism. The so-called “Jim Crow” laws that were present in United States at the time, served to segregate blacks and whites from all aspects of public life, including schools, public transport and juries. Often faced with extreme right-wing terrorist groups such as the white supremacist Klu Klux Klan, many among the African American community chose to live in a society of oppression that to actively campaign for equal rights for all humans regardless of the colour of their skin. It wasn’t until the 1950’s and 60’s that the people attempted to challenge the established order by engaging in influential protest movements with the help of key activist groups and their leaders. In particular, one key example of a powerful protest campaign was that which occurred in 1965 in Selma, a small town in Alabama. Here, the African American community united in an effort to ensure that all citizens were equal before the law in regards to their ability to register to vote. Their work in banding together and marching from Selma to the state capital Montgomery, was vastly important to both the Civil Rights Movement as a whole, as well as the assurance of the Black vote within the United States. Consequently, this essay seeks to emphasize just how influential this act of protest was to the movement as a whole, whilst analysing the

Ever since the founding of the United States of America, blacks have continuously been considered inferior to the white race. In the year of 1954, a substantial advancement in the fight for equality for blacks was prevalent. Countless prominent leaders of the United States realized the injustices that the blacks were forced to endure daily. Stated blatantly in the Declaration of Independence, it is said that all men are created equally. Disregarding the opinions of the men in the South, people began to realize that it was time to truly consider every man who is a citizen of the United States as equals. A life where segregation was not prevalent in schools, restaurants, theatres, parks, buses, and all public

Even segregation minimized the educational and employment opportunities of blacks, to the consequence that blacks were kept low on the socioeconomic ladder. Whether it was intended this way or the economic effects were an unintended consequence of establish “racial superiority/inferiority” can be argued; however, the chapter written by Wilson indicates his opinion: segregation was designed not only to determine racial superiority, but also to limit the opportunities of African Americans. Indeed, Weber makes specific reference to this in the chapter from Gilbert, saying “to preserve their advantages, high-status groups attempt to monopolize those goods that symbolize their style of life—they pass consumption laws prohibiting the lower orders from wearing lace, or they band together to keep Jews or blacks out of prestigious country clubs” (Gilbert 2008, p. 9).

Segregation emerged and it wasn’t until a century after that segregation was starting to be dealt with. Segregation prohibited African Americans to enter specific facilities, public places, and restaurants. Segregation caused an immense amount of violence towards African Americans, where African Americans were lynched the night prior to voting day in Mississippi, so that they wouldn’t be able to vote. Segregation made a significant mental change on African American individuals. There were African Americans who had given up on the removal of segregation and accepted that they lived in a society where they were to be belittled and treated as unequal. There were those whom were in the middle class that saw segregation as an opportunity to profit because of economical and educational security. Finally, there were those who grew tired of oppression and advocated towards violence due to their hatred and bitterness of the white race. In my opinion none of these were the right ways to approach segregation. The African American race should have always looked for ways to demolish segregation. A way that would catch people’s attention and yet keep them safe. Direct Action was the correct way to approach segregation. It caught the public’s attention, as well as made the government deal with the issue and still kept people

Americans approached this issue from opposing sides; some states prohibited segregation while others permitted it (McPherson, 626). Despite the American Freedmen’s Union Commission’s support of integration, Southern whites strongly pushed for segregation in public schools (McPherson, 626). How did African Americans respond to this issue of segregation? Did they support or disapprove of it? Some African Americans might have approved of segregation especially if they believed that education was the only way to gain liberty. They might have seen segregation as the means to finally free themselves from whites’ control. On the other hand, African Americans might have seen segregation as white Americans further attempt to restrict and marginalize

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it.”-Harper Lee. Racism and segregation were issues that tore at the fabric of our country for many years. 1881-1900 was a time when blacks had limited freedoms and were faced with segregation. However, they didn’t just sit and wait for things to change, they faced them head on. The Tuskegee institute, the Civil Rights Act, and Plessy v. Ferguson are examples of blacks inequality and how they took matters into their own hands.

Back during the civil rights movement many whites in the South, believed segregation allowed control and subordinate status. It was a way where whites felt superior to blacks

Segregation was formed 1896 when the Supreme Court passed the law of separation of whites and blacks. This history changing passing of segregation has been the down fall of AfricanAmericans. Of course, we had noble and courageous abolisher, such as Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglas, and many other run a ways who made it to see a brighter, free day. Though, there was never anything who was a younger image in African American history. I am talking about the

In early black History Africans Americans were looked at as an asset or a slave for the benefit of the white folks. This sense of ownership was detrimental in the day to African Americans pride and also their identity. According to History.com “Though it is impossible to give accurate figures, some historians have estimated that 6 to 7 million slaves were imported to the New World during the 18th century alone, depriving the African continent of some of its healthiest and ablest men and women”. After slavery was abolished the sense of racial inferiority of the white folks was maintained and preserved by teaching this to everyone thereafter through the media we watch. This strategy of colonialism was sought after to control the thoughts of blacks and whites. Segregation enabled the African American’s to uphold oppositional standpoints and views to counter the effects of racism. In order to try and level out the superiority integrations was enacted. The Brown Vs. Board of education case decision in 1954 made integration possible.

Segregation between black and whites being around since the beginning of slavery era but segregation didn’t get legal until 1896 when the supreme court sanction legal separation between black and whites in the ruling H.A. Plessy v. J.H. Ferguson. The ruling stated that separation of black and whites was legal as long equal facilities did not violate the fourteenth amendment. The united states did indeed abolish slavery but did they not intend to make blacks first class citizen as white because after the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendment was passed, the supreme court had pass three series of judgment making African Americans second class citizens. Blacks were forces via private action to separate themselves from white in areas of transportation, public accommodation, prison, school, recreational places and even armed forces. The supreme court did not make segregation illegal until 1954 during the case of Brown vs. Board of Education.

When Mrs. Pell said, “Hatred isn’t something you’re born with. It gets taught” she was right. White citizens have been taught hatred of black citizens, and they’ve also been taught that “segregation is what’s taught in the Bible.” They use this to justify their actions towards black citizens, they believe these actions are okay because it’s the way things have always been. White citizens at the time hadn’t been taught anything else. They’d also never been punished for their actions either, which further enforced the idea that it was okay.

For decades, segregation was a normal thing across the United States. Though considered “equal”, the treatment of African Americans by whites were not. African Americans would be arrested and fined if they crossed the lines or if they refused to obey commands. They were limited from doing many things that they should have been able to do. Their opinions were ignored, too. The unfair judgement of others based on their skin color is unfair and erroneous, no matter the circumstances.