Black Americans were publically beaten, frightened, and even killed (Magar, 2010). These practices did not stop until 1964 when the Civil Rights Act banned discrimination against race among many other things. Today stereotypes continue to create discrimination but not to the levels of the early 1900s. Everyone needs to remember that Black Americans have more than 400 years of stereotypes to overcome. African Americans have many conflicts and struggles to deal with.
Nothing back then was black and white for former slaves and the white Southerners. The answers took time to get to each and every one of those citizens. Those answers came in the form of more blood being spilt and discrimination running rampant throughout the South. Over this course of time, civility finally became the norm through these struggles you are about to read about. Race Relations after the Civil War 3 The way white Southerners made it difficult on former slaves in the South was to create what was called “Black Codes”.
That’s why I agree with the prosecuting argument of the American dream that Minorities, and women, were discriminated against. First off, minority men and women, like Book T. Washington, were oppressed daily by the majority. Slavery was once a very popular mindset of this country, however today we look upon it as cruelty. Book T. Washington was born into slavery and felt the white man oppressing him most of his life. He fought back and gave speeches against such oppression against him and his people.
Staples’ seems to be confused at first about this because he seems himself as one of the good boys in that area. The story continue to tells of more events were Staples’ skin color has gotten him on the sour end of deals. Another story is when Staples’ explains when he was a journalist in Chicago. One day he was rushing into his office to make a deadline and the office manager happened to call security and to staples’ luck, he had no identification. As the years went by, Staples was able to learn how to cope with the stereotypes.
However, even after its abolishment, blacks were still kept in slavery and were treated poorly and unequal to other, white Americans. This abuse was much more common in the Southern states due to the more racist nature of the white people who lived there and the fact that the Southern states had originally fought to keep Black Slavery legal. Soon after the Civil War was won by the Northern States, the 13th, 14th and 15th amendment were brought into congress. The thirteenth amendment stated that all Slavery must end in America; the fourteenth amendment stated that everyone living on American soil should gain citizenship and the fifteenth amendment stated that all citizens should gain the right to vote. These amendments could be considered as vital moves towards black equalities, if they had worked.
Many of these facilities were, education, healthcare, transport, cinemas, restaurants and churches and even housing and estates were segregated. This shows the extent white went to separate them from the ‘inferior’ race. Jim Crow laws limited black Americans from having a better way of life as they were made poorer, didn’t have the opportunity to managerial roles as they were only allowed the low paying jobs and weren’t equal to white people increasing poor conditions, also, led to unequal or no voting rights in coloured communities. Under the Fifteenth Amendment black people had legal rights to vote across America. However, many southern states found ways around the laws to disenfranchise the black populations.
All humans, no matter which skin color, have been enslaved one time or another in their history. People have been enslaved because of what other human beings believe what is good enough or not. These people have suffered for many years just because of skin color and basically just their appearance on the outside. In the autobiographies by Frederick Douglass and Olaudah Equiano, “My Bondage and My Freedom,” and “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano,” Both writers vividly present to the reader the devastation and humiliation of slavery. Douglass and Equiano were both Africans and slaves; however, they lived very different lives.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee incorporates the theme, prejudice, to portray the feelings and thoughts that people had during the time period of the Great Depression; this was described in the Trial where Tom Robinson fought for his life. throughout the 1930's, most people were raised with prejudice beliefs in the South. Whites were taught from generations before them that african americans do not deserve respect. Therefore, it should not be brought to them. Most whites believed that African Americans were to do what they were told, by them.
When he was 14, he ran away from home and went to travel with a carnival, where he would become many things over the years for a summer job. (Scholastic 1) When he was younger, he did not enjoy reading. When he was in the ninth grade, he failed. (Houghton –Mifflin 1) He started to write stories when he became an editor. After that job, he moved back to Minnesota and finished his first novel.
During the early 20th century, Jim Crow South had a significant impact on people. Jim Crow laws were rulings that enforced racial segregation in the south from 1877-1954 forcing blacks to live separate from whites; usually in a poor quality society. Jim Crow laws managed and dictated which privileges blacks enjoyed. By law, blacks could not use the same facilities, could not attend the same schools, or could not drink out of the same water fountains as whites. The laws were basically just a list of “could-nots”.