Segregation and Discrimination

I. Problems in societyA. Prejudice-unfair opinion

not based on facts

B. Discrimination-Unfair treatment of a group because of their race, religion, ethnic background, or place of birth.

C. Racism-Idea that one race is superior to another.

D. Segregation-To set a part from others and isolate from the whole group

II. Post Civil War AmericaA. Black codes continue to be

used in the South during/after Reconstruction

B. The Amnesty Act allowed former Confederate officials to run for office and vote

C. Deal in the House of Representatives during the 1876 presidential election removed federal troops from the South

D. Southern Democrats would take office once again and establish more discriminatory laws against African Americans.

E. African Americans were impoverished as most became sharecroppers, working for their former masters in many situations.

F. Since poor whites were also living in poverty, many advocates tried to unite them politically with African Americans

G. Democrats knew that this alliance would hurt them politically so they started appealing to racism to stop the alliance.

III. Voter Discrimination

A. African Americans continued to vote even as they were constantly being threatened with violence.

B. Three forms of discrimination at the polls:

1. Poll Taxes

2. Literacy Tests

3. Grandfather Clauses

C. Supreme Court would not overturn any discriminatory practices at the voting booths in the 1870s and 1880s,

IV. Jim CrowA. With the loss of voting rights,

Southern states passed racial segregation laws to separate whites and blacks in public and private facilities.

B. Major places that would be segregated include:

1. Schools2. Transportation systems3. Restaurants4. Hospitals5. Parks

C. These segregation laws would become known as “Jim Crow” laws after an song and dance show known as “Jump Jim Crow”. White actors would perform in black face, so Jim Crow was another name for “Negro”.

V. Plessy V. FergusonA. In a planned protest, Homer Plessy, a

light skinned black man, sat in a train car designated for “whites”. He refused to move, was arrested, and convicted

B. Appealed his conviction all the way to the Supreme Court.

C. Argued that it violated the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment

D. May 18, 1896, The Court upheld segregation in public facilities and said it did not violate the 14th amendment. The majority decision argued that as long as there are equal facilities than segregation of the races is not unconstitutional.

E. Created the doctrine of “separate but equal”

F. Legalized segregation of 60 years

G. “Separate but NOT equal.”

H. Other related Supreme Court cases:

1. The Supreme Court began legalizing segregation when it overturned the Civil Rights Act of 1875 which allowed Southern states to practice segregation in private businesses.

2. Williams V. Mississippi (1898)-Upheld literacy tests to vote

3. Cumming V. Board of Education (1899)-Federal government cannot prevent segregation in public schools as that is a local issue and not a federal issue.

VI. Dejure vs. Defacto Segregation

A. De jure segregation-segregation that is established by law

B. De facto segregation-segregation that is established by tradition and upheld society.

VII. Race Relations

A. Social norms/etiquette would further the discrimination against African Americans

B. Many social norms would humiliate African Americans to 2nd class citizens.

1. Whites and blacks did not shake hands

2. Blacks had to yield sidewalks for whites

3. Black men had to remove their hat in the presence of whites

C. African Americans who did not follow racial etiquette could be subject to extreme violence.

D. Ripped from their homes in middle of the night to be beaten or killed by a mob.

E. Between 1882 and 1892, 1400 African American men/women were killed (shot, beaten, hung, or burned to death)

1. Lynching or hangings were used regularly

F. Members of racist organizations like the White League and the KKK continued to be involved in these acts of violence and intimidation

G. Discrimination in the North

1. The 2nd Industrial Revolution caused many African Americans to move to North looking for social equality and better paying jobs (Great Migration).

2. African Americans were forced to live in segregated neighborhoods

3. Labor Unions discourage black membership

4. African Americans were often the first laid off or fired

5. NYC Race Riot 1900-Young black man believes his wife is being mistreated by an officer so he beats the officer to death. This causes many whites in NYC to retaliate by rioting in a black neighborhood.

VIII. African American Leadership

A. Booker T. Washington-Believed that African Americans should concentrate on achieving economic goals rather than political ones (being educated and learn a vocation)

B. W.E.B. DuBois-Disagreed with Washington believing that political rights, especially voting rights, must be fought for to the fullest extent

C. Ida B. Wells-Young women that launched a crusade to end lynching. Even though Congress would not adopt anti-lynching legislation, her crusade helped to decrease lynching in the early 1900s

D. Mary Church Terrell- Led a personal crusade against lynching, sexism, and racism. Helped to form the NAACP and the Women Wage Earner’s association.

E. NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) would be established in 1909 helping to secure civil rights for African Americans.