To Kill A Mockingbird Racial Inequality

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After the civil war ended, the United States of America was still being exposed to vast amounts of racism, while people continued to fight for equal rights and freedom. Slavery was officially over in 1865, but there was still no equality for the blacks. In place of having the Negroes enslaved, the former white slave owners and racists alike would instead continue to oppress them by further segregation and assault, while the white authorities turned a blind eye because they were often part of the problem. In society, they were viewed as second-class citizens; forced to use segregated areas of washrooms, entrances, restaurants, public transit, and recreational facilities; such as churches. It took nearly one hundred years for the black population…show more content…
Specifically, the white community thinks because of the black population’s inequality, that they should be able to treat them like dirt. For example, in To Kill A Mockingbird, Bob Ewell stated, “He stood up and pointed his finger at Tom Robinson. “—I’ve been tellin’em forever to clean up that nigga’ nest down yonder!”” (Lee, p.173) This tells us that Bob Ewell thinks it is acceptable to treat African-Americans however he wants to: by forcefully standing up and pointing his finger menacingly at Tom Robinson, it shows that he has no respect for the negro community and their dignity. It also depicts that by having no remorse for his comments and actions, that Bob Ewell deems his racist views tolerable. In addition, Agent Ward from “Mississippi Burning” stated: “Mr. Anderson, if you were a negro nobody would give a damn what you thought.” This shows that the black community is viewed so unequally by the racist white population, that even their most basic rights, free speech and expression, have been taken away from them. It also states the fact that inequality is a part of everyday black oppression and that the black community isn’t allowed to express their views without violence from the whites or racists. This allows us to see that it is evident that racism shadows people from the…show more content…
Specifically, the black population was forced to live on the outskirts of town, making the white community feel superior since they were closer to the square. To illustrate, in To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus stated that, “anything fit to say at the table’s fit in front of Calpurnia.” (Lee. p.157) In response, Alexandra stated, “I don’t think it’s a good habit. It encourages them. You know how they talk amongst themselves. Everything that happened in this town’s out to the Quarters before sundown.” (Lee, p.157) This reference clarifies that the black citizens are segregated a great distance from the whites in Maycomb, and that Alexandra views the blacks as inferior. Alexandra seems to feel that the children should not talk freely in front of Calpurnia, and that they should only talk amongst themselves. She is implying that, like animals, the blacks confere only in groups and may be plotting to rebel against the whites. Just like in “Mississippi Burning” the coloured boy must lock himself in a “cotton cage” like an animal to hide from the “whites” and Mayor Tilman said, “Fact is, we got two cultures down here: a white culture, and a coloured culture. Now, that's the way it always has been, and that's the way it always will be.” This illustrates that the community of Jessup County is unwilling to break away from the racism and segregation their previous generations started. By keeping the blacks
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