Jim+Crow

 ** You and your partner are African Americans who have lived through the era of Jim Crow in American. Using the links provided in this activity, respond to the “oral history questions” in first person. **
 * 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. **

**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 one of three that gave rights to African americans. The 14th Amendment gave African americans that were slaves citizenship. Equal protection under the laws means that laws can't favor one race over another but this isn't true. Due process means that we operate over a rule of law and you have to figure out how you can do something.

**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]

The Supreme Court declared that it was constitutional for segregated but equal facilities for whites and blacks was legal. This set back our case for equality.

**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 the the set of laws that limited what former slaves could do. He wasn't a person but more a symbol of an idea. He didn't write the laws: they were written by white men who were racists against me.


 * 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]

“All railroads carrying passengers in the state (other than street railroads) shall provide equal but separate accommodations for the white and colored races, by providing two or more passenger cars for each passenger train, or by dividing the cars by a partition, so as to secure separate accommodations.”

“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.”

“Marriages are void when one party is a white person and the other is possessed of one-eighth or more negro, Japanese, or Chinese blood.”

“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 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 __/ <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; padding-right: 10px;">[|Jim Crow Images LINK 2]

We are discriminated against by whites even though we are supposed to be considered equals.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What do some of your friends and family say about life in Jim Crow America? (listen to one or two)** <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; padding-right: 10px;">[|Audio History LINK 1]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My friend called a white doctor for his uncle after an accident. He then called a black doctor, who refused to come over so not to offend the white doctor. The white doctor arrived many hours later, left, and his uncle died soon after.