Jim+Crow+LIfe

To set the stage for the civil rights movement, you must first understand the environment of segregation in the United States in the first half of the 20th century. What was life like in Jim Crow America? Cut and paste this information into a new page in your Unit 8 Online ISN. **** You (and your partner, if you have one) are African Americans who have lived through the era of Jim Crow in America. Using the links provided in this activity, respond to the “oral history questions” in first person. **

**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?** [|14th LINK]

The 14th Amendment was set to give blacks, like myself, rights. The 14th amendment specifically "granted citizenship to people once enslaved." Also, it protected the rights of these people. "Due process" of law means that no citizen will be denied their legal rights. "Equal protection of the laws" means that people must be treated equally in the courts.

**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?** [|Plessy LINK]

I remember a man named Homer Plessy was put in jail for sitting in the white car at a railroad in Louisiana, even though his looks could have passed for white. So after a law was passed segregating in railcars, a black civil rights organization tried the case in court. The mans lawyer argued that it violated the 13th and 14th amendments. The final outcome said that it wasn't unconstitutional to do this, unless they were "unequal."

**The laws developed in the South became known as Jim Crow laws. Who was this Jim Crow fellow? Did he write the laws?**[| Jim Crow LINK]

Jim Crow was a white man by the name of Rice. On stage, he played a stereotypical black man. Back in my day, "Jim Crow" was an offensive term used to describe blacks. As time went on, however, it started to be used as a term to describe laws and customs against blacks. So no, he did not write the Jim Crow laws, but his name was a negative part of them. Southern governments wrote the laws.

The Jim Crow laws completely transformed my life. No Longer could I play games with a white person or even eat with a white person. I had to go to different schools and drink from different drinking fountains. Life was very hard, I just don't understand why it had to happen to us African Americans? The Following are examples of some of the Jim Crow laws: - “It shall be unlawful for a negro and white person to play together or in company with each other in any game of cards or dice, dominoes or checkers.”
 * What are some specific examples of the Jim Crow laws from southern states? How did the laws affect you?** [|Jim Crow Laws LINK 1] / [|Jim Crow Laws LINK 2] / [|Jim Crow Laws LINK 3]

“Separate free schools shall be established for the education of children of African descent; and it shall be unlawful for any colored child to attend any white school, or any white child to attend a colored school.”

- Blacks and Whites were not supposed to eat together. If they did eat together, Whites were to be served first, and some sort of partition was to be placed between them.


 * 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 Images LINK 1 __/ [|Jim Crow Images LINK 2]

Jim Crow American looked very separated and segregated. Whits always separated from African Americans. Whites always being treated better. Some images include pictures of things such as a colored water fountain and a theatre with the name "Theatre for Colored People".


 * What happened in the Scottsboro Case? How did it make you feel as an African American in the South?** [|Scottsboro LINK]

In the Scottsboro Case 9 African Americans were charged with raping two white women. This charge was false and these 9 boys did not commit the crime. In the end every boy except one were sentenced to death. This made me feel very angry. Almost like just because of the color of their skin they were not given a fair chance and were just assumed to be the ones to commit a crime such as this one.

**What do some of your friends and family say about life in Jim Crow America? (listen to one or two)** [|Audio History LINK 1]

They talked about how life was very hard. When ever you would walk down the sidewalk and a white was coming you would get off and give them the sidewalk. You never know when you would walk into a restaurant and they would say that "they do not serve any of your kind". Life was unfair. They thought why would God do this to them? Doesn't he love everyone?