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Jim Crow Laws On African Americans In The 1800s

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While the average American has heard of the Jim Crow laws, most are unaware of the extent to which the racially prejudiced regulations once exploited African Americans. These laws affected Colored people in nearly every aspect of their daily lives. Even before the laws were put into effect, demeaning performances were put on by White people to ridicule the Blacks, which became the foundation for the Jim Crow laws. These laws, along with racist images, increased the mockery and restrictions in entertainment and media.
In the early 1800’s, derogatory minstrel shows were created to mimic African Americans; these led to the formation of the Jim Crow laws. The minstrel shows were popularly done in blackface, theatrical makeup used by a nonblack performer in the role of a Black person. The characters often had comedic roles that displayed stereotypes and negative qualities of Black people. The Jim Crow laws, established in the 1870’s, were named after one of the earlier minstrel shows, Jump Jim Crow, a song and dance routine first performed in 1828. The minstrel shows catalyzed racism in the South and reinforced the support the laws would later need to be successful. …show more content…

Various states passed Jim Crow laws that greatly affected African Americans. For example, the state of Georgia passed a law saying that African Americans are not allowed to play baseball near any playground designated for the White race. Also, Virginia passed a law saying that any place of public entertainment, such as theaters and opera houses, must keep the White and Colored races separate. The Jim Crow laws restricted entertainment in the daily acts of African Americans and were extremely racist and

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