The Pros And Cons Of Racial Ragregation

The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enacted that mandated racial segregation in all public facilities in southern states of the former confederacy. The blacks were said to be “separate but equal” and this separation led to conditions for the blacks that tended to be inferior to those provided for whites. Law-enforced segregation mainly applied to the southern United States whereas northern segregation had patterns of segregation in housing that was enforced by the covenants, bank lending practices, and job discrimination. For decades, this included discriminatory union practices for decades. The Jim Crow laws segregated public schools, public places, public transportation, restrooms, restaurants, and drinking fountains. Therefore, it did nothing to bring about social or economic equality.

Another cause of the conflict Jim Crow Laws, was that many white southerners didn’t believe African Americans should have equal rights as them, which then leaded to segregation in public places. Many public places were labeled with signs above them that said, “Colored Only” or “White Only.” An article I read had said, “Jim Crow Laws extended to restaurants, hotels, theaters, bus stations, parks, public restrooms, drinking fountains, public schools, and the United States Military.” Meanwhile in buses, many black people had to sit in the back of buses, use different water fountains, and different restrooms as well. In 1955, in Montgomery Alabama, a black woman named Rosa Parks was

Today racial inequality is ongoing whether you are aware of it or not. We have come a long way from segregated seats to public transportation. The issue of race and race relations has really scarred the history of this nation and has been a constant reminder of the horrors people endured as a result of race relations in this country. The ideas from both of the readings explain how black Americans faced hatred and violence because they were viewed as less then. The writings also include how each leader is trying to change the world’s view of

the real case of Emmett Till, in which an innocent man was persecuted simply because the color of skin was not favored with the all white jury. A case very similar to this can be seen within To Kill a Mockingbird, a novel used to bring up the topic of racism. Harper Lee uses her book To Kill a Mockingbird to bring awareness to racism by demonstrating how it can bring despair to a community. Although, people who fight against racism can bring hope to those who have been effected.

Discrimination has afflicted the American society since its inception in 1776. The inferiority of the African American race – a notion embedded within the mindset of the white populace has difficult to eradicate – despite the efforts of civil rights activists and lawmakers alike. Many individuals are of the opinion that discrimination and racism no longer exist and that these issues have long since been resolved during the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. However such is not the case. Discrimination is a complex issue – one that encompasses many aspects of society. The impact of discrimination of the African American race is addressed from two diverse perspectives in the essays: “Notes of a Native Son” by James Baldwin and “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King .

About a hundred years after the Civil War, almost all American lived under the Jim Crow laws. The Jim Crow Laws actually legalized segregation. These racially enforced rules dominated almost every aspect of life, not to mention directed the punishments for any infraction. The key reason for the Jim Crow Laws was to keep African Americans as close to their former status as slaves as was possible. The following paper will show you the trials and tribulations of African Americans from the beginning through to the 1940’s where segregation was at its peak.

Racism has the power to change anybody’s life. Jem Finch is a young teen character from To Kill a Mockingbird who longed for the warm summer days when he could just play on the lawn and not care about the future. However, as the novel progresses, it becomes clear that he cannot just play around when he knows what is going on around him and what is happening to the black community of Maycomb, Alabama. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a success in the world of literature. Set in the 1930’s down south where racism was rampant, Harper Lee shows us the challenges of growing up in a community of inequality through the characters Jem and Scout Finch. Jem is older than Scout by 3 years so he understands how serious the nature of racism is and

In both the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luthor King Jr. and “Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria” by Beverly Daniel Tatum, race relations are a main topic. While King writes about the effects and injustices of segregation, Beverly writes about the causes of self-segregation. These two works have a few things in common that is discussed, such as the inferiority complex that may stem from the segregation, racism and segregation cause mistrust and contempt, and racism is the cause for segregation. These three things are common between the two works, while King writes about the injustice’s taking place, and the urgency to take action in order to fix the problem. Beverly shows that while minor compared to the past, racism still effects the way black kids act and grow.

The Jim Crow Law was based on the idea of “Separate but Equal” which impacted the African American people and challenged the Supreme Court’s efforts to give true equality for all. The idea “Separate but Equal” arose after the abolishment of slavery and birth of the Fourteenth Amendment. This new Amendment gave every citizen equal rights no matter the race. However, because of the spread of white resistance, segregation was used to keep the two races separated physically, socially and culturally. But the Plessy v. Ferguson case caused ⅞ % to be the lowest amount of white in a person to be socially considered white. Segregation not only impacted the black, but also biracial people because of this percent standard. Separated facilities such as

“Jim Crow Laws” were enforced, basically relegating people of color to a lower status than everyone else.

Society, as we know it today, consists of people who have evolved and developed mentally, culturally, geographically, and physiologically. Because people come from different walks of life, segregation has played a significant role in America. It is seemingly inescapable. The term segregation is known for its infamous history and the negative impact it has had on society. Due to its reputation, it is very uncommon that one studies the word in a positive way contrary to its negative connotation, to find that it has two sides, both pros and cons. Due to this fact, in this paper I will discuss the pros and cons that can be associated with segregation.

“Racism is taught in our society; it is not automatic. It is learned behaviour toward persons with dissimilar physical characteristics.” (Alex Haley) Racism is not a thing that you are born with, racism is something which is learnt through the language of the society around you. Harper Lee in her book To Kill a Mockingbird explores with the irrationality of adult attitudes to race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. In this novel it is seen that racism is taught it is not inherited. Racism is a belief that characterises differences amongst the different racial human groups, which determine their respective cultures, usually involving the idea of that one’s race is more superior and has the right to rule or dominate others. Racism is one of the most controversial social topics in the world today even in the 21st century. In the treatment of negroes, it is showcased that they are not equally treated to the whites therefore, this will be observed by their children leading them to follow on the footsteps of their parents. They further degrade the Negroes by calling them offensive names however this is considered normal in their society. No one defends Tom Robinson and everyone assumes that he is guilty by stereotyping his skin colour and his culture. An abundant explanation of racism is portrayed through the three main points of this essay.

The work of W.E.B. Du Bois and E.M. Forster, both add their voices to the U.S. Supreme Court’s debate on segregation. In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation could be compatible with equality. Then, in 1954, the court reversed itself and declared that “separate is inherently unequal.” Forster defends separation as both equal and unequal but under different circumstances. He defends it as equal when they are separated in different countries and unequal when they are separated in the same country. Du Bois agrees that legal separation along one or more “color lines” contributes to inequality and he deplores laws such as Jim Crow but he also thinks it is important for different races to develop separately. Both authors are able to see separation in a positive and a negative light.

“All men are created equal”(Lee 274) cited by Thomas Jefferson, in the infamous 1776 Declaration of Independence. Throughout this paper, I will present facts that counter this claim,    in which candidly excluded African Americans and Jews during the 1930’s and 40’s. This assignment requires me to compare and contrast Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” and Elie Wiesel “Night” by selecting three themes. Throughout this essay, my themes are racism, inequality in the judicial system, and educational barriers thereby deprived non-whites during the 20th Century.

In the 1870s, white southerners implemented a racially segregated society across the South through the creation of the Jim Crow laws. For instance, “whites only” and “colored” signs rapidly increased throughout the American South as a constant reminder of the enforced racial order. These laws “affected almost every aspect of daily life, mandating segregation of schools, parks, libraries, drinking fountains, restrooms, buses, trains, and restaurants” (“Jim Crow”). Jim Crow intended to separate the races since this system aimed