Jim Crow Laws

The Jim Crow Era was a period of time in the 1900’s in which the white Americans were separated from the black Americans. It was an unfair treatment because black people were treated as if they were inferior to white. These laws were about power of one race over another. Jim Crow laws were first introduced after the Civil War. The Civil War ended slavery but did not give African Americans equality. There have been amendments that intended to help the segregation but did really help to its fullest extent.
Black were a part of violence threats, poverty and discrimination.

In the book by Frankie Lennon The Mee Street Chronicles: Straight Up Stories of a Black Woman’s life, the author touches on the Jim Crow Laws and how she experienced some of it. The author tells her story about when she was young and she would go shopping there were certain places where she couldn’t shop. In one occasion, she goes into the place she usually shopped and asked to try on a bathing suit she really liked but was told she couldn’t. The reason she couldn’t try it on was because they believed that it would lose value if a colored person tried it on. She also shares how in one occasion she goes to a theme park right around fourth of July and sees that on Fourth of July they will be having a firework show. She asked her mother if they could go because she had never experienced watching a firework show. Her mother explains to her that they couldn’t because on that day colored people weren’t allowed to visit the park. Colored people were only allowed to visit the theme park once a weak because it was stated under the Jim Crow laws.

As I read through an article by Ronald L. F. Davis Racial Etiquette: The Racial Customs and Rules of Racial Behavior in Jim Crow America, I felt amazed. The Jim Crow laws were really unfair laws, whites were treated as if they were superior to colored people. Whites were thought to be more civilized, intelligent, and they had better morals. When a colored person would go out to eat she or he would have to wait till all the whites were served, then he or she would be taken care of. Blacks and Whites were not supposed to eat together, so blacks always had to sit in the back to give up their seats for the white. A Black male could not offer his hand with a White male because it implied being socially equal. If they did they would get into trouble because white were offended when they did something like that. Blacks were not allowed to show public affection toward one another in public, especially kissing, because it offended Whites. Blacks and whites could not share the same things. Whites went to separate schools, restrooms and parks than the ones blacks went to. There were signs in which blacks were compared to dogs in which posted that they weren’t allowed. These signs were usually posted outside of stores. There were also signs that indicated were blacks were allowed or weren’t allowed.

The Jim Crow laws were not fair. As I read through the author’s book and did a little research I felt offended. Till this day we as colored people are still treated as we are less then whites. People look at us as poor and unintelligent. I hate the fact that we have to suffer because our parents or grandparents are not white Americans. I like my race it makes me different to some but similar to others but because of that I shouldn’t be treated as if I am not a good person. All people are equal, it doesn’t matter what race, gender or color you are. To me what matters is what is in the inside.