Jim Crow Laws By Alex, Mark and Sam.

Background The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States (especially southern states) enacted between 1876 and They mandated racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans. Some examples of Jim Crow laws are the segregation of public schools, public places and public transportation, and the segregation of restrooms, restaurants and drinking fountains for whites and blacks In reality, this led to treatment and accommodations that were usually inferior to those provided for white Americans, systematizing a number of economic, educational and social disadvantages.

This is quite a famous poster representing segregation and racial inequality. In the southern states of the U.S, around the end of the 19 th century, the only kind of people hated more than Negros were homosexuals. So to entice racial inequality posters like these were put up by lynching groups and courthouses. These posters portrayed African-Americans as being both poor and homosexual.

All public services were segregated. If a black man was to drink from a water fountain, it was deemed unsuitable for a white person to drink from it. This meant that African-Americans always received the worst possible services.

During this period of races being “separate but equal”, even public transport was divided up among races. For example a train would have separate carriages for white and black people. In 1892, Homer Plessy a man who was 1/8 th black and 7/8 th ’s white bought a first-class ticket from New Orleans on the East Louisiana Railway. Once he had boarded the train, he informed the train conductor of his racial lineage and took a seat in the whites- only car. He was directed to leave that car and sit instead in the "coloured’s only" car. Plessy refused and was immediately arrested.

In a book called ‘The Help’ a Black servant is telling a young black boy the most important rules to follow when interacting with white people and especially employers. One of the key rules being no matter how badly you need to go, never ever get caught by the Madam of the house using their bathroom. Even if there is no out-house to use, waiting till she leaves the house is the safest option. An African-American servant could lose his employment and most likely be beaten for such an offence

Public services weren’t the only places to be segregated, many private business's were also racially separated. This cafe is unusual for the time as it serves both coloured and white customers. Although due to the laws of segregation, the doors are separated, as would the seating and even the cutlery would have been.

This image describes that whilst African- Americans could no longer be owned, they were still slaves to society.