Walnut Street Jail Janice Tighe Harrison College History of Criminal Justice Mr. Royer 10/17/11 As a Criminal Justice student it is important to know and understand some of the history of our Criminal Justice system. One aspect to know would be the history of our correctional system, in particular the Walnut Street Jail. Before the creation of the Walnut Street Jail life for prisoners was cruel and inhumane. As our text states “By the late eighteenth century, men, women, and children were till mixed together in many American jails. Before the birth of the modern penitentiary at Walnut Street (Philadelphia) in 1790, prisoners endured unimaginable squalor” (Roth, 2011, p. 86).
Then eventually, it became a trend and the style became popularized by hip-hop artists in the 1990’s. The sagging pants become a symbol of freedom and cultural awareness among many youths or a symbol of their rejection of the values of mainstream society. Over the past two decades, sagging pants have emerged as one of the most infamous fashion trends, not just in the United States, but in many other parts of the world as well. Some people still believe that this notorious trend was an African-American creation. There are some who associate the trend of sagging pants with homosexuality and the world of crime, wherein criminals used these loose clothing to hide their weapons.
How far do you agree with the view that African Americans were treated as second class citizens between 1940 and 1946? This view is very accurate; African Americans were not offered the same political, economic or social opportunities and rights as white people, despite the terms of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments. However, overall, treatment of African Americans was worse in the south. Political/ legal rights and opportunities were limited for African Americans due to their treatment as second class citizens. For example, in the south, Jim Crow laws were in place, meaning that everybody had to pass a literacy test and pay poll tax before they could vote.
Inmate had to wear loose fitting uniforms. Belts were not permitted in prison because they were used as an instrument for inmates to commit suicide or they could be used as weapons. However, the sagging pants style was later popularized by many "hip-hop" stars around the 1990's. As this fashion trend forged its way into mainstream America, the debates for and against sagging pants began to heat up. "Saggers", which became a term to describe individuals who wore sagging pants, defended their choice of style because it was simply more comfortable.
Government’s efforts to prevent racist dissent proved futile: the government, itself, promoted segregation in public areas. Even with abolitionists’ efforts, this prejudice mindset lasted for decades to come. The first piece of evidence was the literacy tests citizens were required to take in order to vote in some southern states. During Reconstruction, all men, besides Native Americans, were granted the right to vote. Although, states determined suffrage.
Pruitt-Igoe Life in the United States during the post World War II era was anything but steady and fulfilling for African Americans. During this time of racial segregation blacks struggled to become an equal in society and were in a sense forced to settle for whatever they could get out of it. The “Myth” of Pruitt-Igoe was a direct reflection of the things that were going on in the United States during this time. Blacks were suppressed to housing projects were they lived in bunches and for many in piss poor living conditions. When you really take a look into the structure of these housing projects and how they came about you begin to see that this was nothing more than a way to relocate poor blacks into one area.
Later in 1890, Mississippi made a poll tax, which most blacks couldn’t afford, so this kept them from voting. Some tried avoiding all these segregated laws down in the south by migrating into the north so they could work in industrial towns. Marcus Garver, a black nationalist founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association held in Jamaica. This helped blacks find better life in Africa. “The National Association of the Advancement for Colored People, NAACP, was founded in 1909 by a group of black and white activists.” (PBS, internet) In 1917, the NAACP and thousands of blacks marched down New York City to protest discrimination and racial violence.
Famous rappers such as Snoop Dog, 50 Cent, R. Kelly, and ECT… have almost planted these racial slurs into our minds through there “trashy rap”. Imus in morning was not only reprimanded for his comments but later let go, due to the uprising of the black community. Rappers, Movie Stars, Comedians and even Gangsters have been giving black woman and negative name calling them “items, hoes, and even bitches.” This is not even in the privacy of their home it is in public on movies and even cd’s. Earl believes that this is due to the fact that these black celebrities are giving an ok to everyone to degrade woman of their own race. He states that “The same
It’s called Rock ‘n’ Roll and it had parents, teachers, and politicians worried for the youth of America. Rock ‘n’ Roll was the first of its kind in that the vocals were not always the center of discourse, but the body language of the performers and the beat of the music moved the audience a lot of times…Rock and Roll was elemental, savage, dripping with sex; it was just as our parents feared” (8). The reason for the fear: Rock ‘n’ Roll evolved from recordings by African-American artists known
Jim Crow Laws had a major influential impact on the United States during its time period due to its cruel ways. Jim Crow Laws were a system of racial apartheid laws dominant in the South beginning in the 1890s continuing for three quarters of a century. The laws affected everyday life, separating Whites and African Americans by posting signs to where either ethnicity could go to school, restrooms, drinking fountains, buses, restaurants, and more. Jim Crow Laws claimed to have treated African Americans the same as Whites through the quote “separate but equal”. Although the laws abided by that particular quote it was visible that African American public facilities low grade quality wasn’t nearly comparable to those of Whites.