Jim Crow laws were a collection of individually passed laws by states to limit African American citizen’s freedom. Some of these attempted to indirectly limit them, and others were direct assaults. They were introduced between 1874 and 1975. In theory it was to create a separate but equal state of mind, but in reality Jim Crow Laws condemned black citizens to inferior treatment and facilities. Education, public facilities, hotels, and restaurants were segregated under Jim Crow Laws. The United States military was split until after World War II. The link below will redirect you to a list of Jim Crow Laws, courtesy of The National Park Service.
http://www.nps.gov/malu/learn/education/jim_crow_laws.htm “African-Americans have been freed from slavery for 150 years, but racism inherent in the system that dehumanized them can still be felt today.” The legacy of Jim Crow laws lives on. Even today, few would say that our country is truly color-blind. The law states that everyone is equal, but many still feel suppressed. The recent events in Ferguson and Baltimore clearly show the retaliation from our violent past, "Daily life now is doing things like trying to get the body camera, meeting with various local and national leaders to try to set up various types of training, not just for us but for the region." Just trying to maintain control of the situation demands the Ferguson Police Chief's full attention. “Racial profiling punishes innocent individuals for the past actions of those who look and sound like them. It misdirects crucial resources and undercuts the trust needed between law enforcement and the communities they serve. It has no place in our national discourse, and no place in our nation's police departments...” Many African-Americans are vocal about their issues with racial profiling and have even gone to rioting to speak their words. |