Life+in+Jim+Crow+America

Life in Jim Crow America Questions
**1) Right after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment was ratified, what did the 14th Amendment provide for African Americans? What does “due process” and “equal protection of the laws” mean? ~** The 14th Amendment gave us African Americans civil rights and provided citizenship to those who were once slaves. Due Process means that the Government must give everyone fair treatment, including us, because it is guaranteed as a citizen’s privilege. Equal protection of the laws means that every citizen have the same means of entry to the courts and must be treated equally in the courts and by the Government. **2) Unfortunately, your equal rights were challenged by the Supreme Court in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. What do you remember about the facts, decision, and impact of this case?** **~** Well, Homer Plessy was an African American but he was also known as a creole of color because of his French, Caribbean, or Spanish ancestors. He had a light skin complexion and when questioned about his race when sitting in a white railroad car he replied “black”. Plessy was then arrested for going against the Separate Car Act but Plessy’s lawyer said that the act went against the 13th and 14th Amendments. This case went all the way to the Supreme Court where they decided that having “separate facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they were equal”. But the facilities for blacks were inadequate. The “separate but equal” slogan would hold strong until the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka. **3) The laws developed in the South became known as Jim Crow laws. Who was this Jim Crow fellow? Did he write the laws?~** Tomas Rice heard an African American singing a song with the name Jim Crow in it. Rice was struggling to become a successful actor so he darkened his skin and sang on stage. It was very successful so he was able to tour around. Eventually, Jim Crow became a character in minstrel shows. Then people started referring to us as Jim Crows because of the shows and bad portrays of us. After some time, however, the name Jim Crow was used as a name for the laws that were against black civil rights or other acts in favor of blacks. **4) What are some specific examples of the Jim Crow laws from southern states? How did the laws affect you? ~** African Americans must use proper titles like Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. when talking to or about a white person but white people call African Americans by their first names. The schools for blacks and whites are run separately. Blacks and whites cannot eat together. Blacks must be introduced to whites, not the other way around. Blacks are not allowed to show intelligence or knowledge. There were separate drinking fountains for blacks and whites as well. These laws affect me because I am not supposed to show any intelligence. Also, I can only use certain public facilities that are especially for blacks. I am not shown any respect yet expected to show respect to others because of their “superior race”. **5) What did Jim Crow America look like in the 1900s? What are some images that can help explain the realities of the time? ~** Jim Crow America was a segregated country with a lot of discrimination towards blacks. There were separate waiting rooms, bus seats, schools, juvenile detention centers, water fountains, theaters, entrances, and don’t forget the horrors of lynching. There are signs that indicate where blacks are acceptable to be and where they can enter and where they can drink from.  **6) What happened in the Scottsboro Case? How did it make you feel as an African American in the South? ~** There were nine young men, the youngest 12 years old, on a train. They had gotten into a fight with a couple of white men. The white men were thrown off the train. The white men were angry so they complained to a stationmaster who had armed people go in an arrest the nine black men. They also found two women that were dressed in men’s clothing. There was no connection between the women and nine black men but they were all accused of raping the women. I felt outraged! The black men had nothing to do with the women yet they still are accused. We are not getting fair treatment. Even the Government is discriminating us even though they are not supposed to. **7) Why should anyone care about your life during Jim Crow America?** ~ People should care because the government and the whites were trying to control the lives of the African Americans. There was segregation in the most ridiculous of places like in cemeteries or in libraries. Any single movement or facial expression could be deemed a transgression of the Jim Crow laws. There were severe punishments for going against the Jim Crow Laws like lynching or other forms of a death sentence or being put in jail. Whites were allowed to damage our houses and property and potentially kill us and not get into any trouble. The only thing we could do was resist and resist in a nonviolent manner. People should care because of the hardships we had to take on for almost a century.