Effects of Segregation

The Jim Crow laws had far-reaching consequences on American society, particularly for African Americans. These laws enforced racial segregation in various aspects of daily life.

Example: Some Jim Crow laws included:

• "The schools for white children and the schools for negro children shall be conducted separately." (Florida)
• "No colored barber shall serve as a barber to white women or girls." (Georgia)
• "The officer in charge shall not bury, or allow to be buried, any colored persons upon ground set apart or used for the burial of white persons." (Georgia)

The effects of segregation were profound and long-lasting:

• High crime rates in segregated areas
• Impoverishment of entire districts
• Formation of slums
• Reduced economic mobility for children growing up in racially segregated areas
• Difficulty for formerly enslaved people to gain economic independence
• Inferior facilities for blacks in schools, housing, and employment
• Restricted travel opportunities due to segregated public transportation

Highlight: Segregation's impact extended beyond just physical separation, creating systemic economic and social disparities that persisted for generations.

Resistance Movements

The Civil Rights Movement emerged as a response to racial segregation and discrimination. Two significant resistance movements were:

1. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
2. The Montgomery Bus Boycott

NAACP and Brown v. Board of Education

The NAACP, established in February 1909 in New York, played a crucial role in the fight against segregation:

• In 1917, they organized a silent march to protest lynching and violence against black people
• In the 1950s, they supported Oliver Brown's case against the Board of Education

Highlight: The Brown v. Board of Education case in 1951 led to the landmark decision declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Rosa Parks, born on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama, became a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement:

• On December 1, 1955, she refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery bus
• Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, organized by the NAACP under Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership
• The boycott lasted 381 days and resulted in the declaration of bus segregation as unconstitutional

Quote: Parks became known as the "mother of the civil rights movement" for her role in sparking this significant protest.

These resistance movements were crucial in challenging and ultimately dismantling the system of legal segregation in the United States.

Definition and Begin of Segregation

Racial segregation in the United States was a system of separating people based on race in various aspects of daily life. This practice was rooted in the belief that black and white people could not coexist.

Definition: Segregation is the practice of requiring separate housing, education, and other services for people of color.

The Jim Crow laws, introduced in the late 1870s, legally mandated racial segregation. These laws affected all areas of public life, including:

• Educational institutions
• Transportation (trains, buses)
• Healthcare facilities
• Public amenities
• Private businesses

Highlight: In 1896, the Supreme Court declared racial segregation permissible under the "separate but equal" doctrine.

This legal framework established statutory segregation between black and white Americans, fundamentally shaping American society for decades to come.