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In Struggle Against Jim Crow: A Long and Historic Battle for Civil Rights

Tyler Nelson

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Published in In Struggle Against Jim Crow: Lulu B White And The NAACP 1900 1957 (Centennial Of The Association Of Former Students Texas A M University 81)

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The Jim Crow era was a dark period in American history, a time when racial segregation and discrimination were rampant and enforced by law. The term "Jim Crow" originated from a minstrel show character created by white performer Thomas Dartmouth "Daddy" Rice in the 1830s. The character was a stereotypical depiction of a bumbling, lazy, and superstitious black man, and his name became synonymous with the system of racial segregation that emerged in the South after the Civil War.

In Struggle against Jim Crow: Lulu B White and the NAACP 1900 1957 (Centennial of the Association of Former Students Texas A M University 81)

In Struggle against Jim Crow: Lulu B. White and the NAACP, 1900-1957 (Centennial Series of the Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University Book 81)

by Chelsea Handler

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
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Print length	:	200 pages

Jim Crow laws varied from state to state, but they all shared the common goal of keeping black people separate from white people in every aspect of life. Blacks were denied the right to vote, to serve on juries, to hold public office, and to attend white schools or use white public facilities. They were also subjected to violence and intimidation by white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan.

The fight against Jim Crow began soon after the Civil War, but it gained momentum in the early 20th century with the rise of the civil rights movement. Led by organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC),activists used legal challenges, nonviolent protests, and civil disobedience to challenge Jim Crow laws and demand equal rights for black Americans.

One of the most important victories in the fight against Jim Crow was the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954),which ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This decision paved the way for the desegregation of schools across the country, although it was met with resistance in some areas.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were two other landmark pieces of legislation that helped to dismantle Jim Crow. The Civil Rights Act outlawed discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and government programs, while the Voting Rights Act prohibited racial discrimination in voting and established federal oversight of voter registration and elections in areas with a history of discrimination.

The fight against Jim Crow was a long and difficult one, but it was ultimately successful. By the end of the 1960s, Jim Crow laws had been largely dismantled, and black Americans had made significant progress towards achieving civil rights.

However, the legacy of Jim Crow continues to this day. Racial discrimination and inequality still exist in many areas of American society, and the fight for civil rights is far from over.

In Struggle against Jim Crow: Lulu B. White and the NAACP, 1900-1957 (Centennial Series of the Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University Book 81)

by Chelsea Handler

5 out of 5