Jim+Crow

**You and your partner are African Americans who have lived through the era of Jim Crow in America. Using the links provided in this activity, respond to the “oral history questions” in first person. ** 
 * To set the stage for the civil rights movement, you must first understand the environment of segregation in the United States in the first half of the 20th century. What was life like in Jim Crow America? Cut and paste this information into a new page in your Unit 8 Online ISN. **

**Right after the Civil War, the 14th Amendment was ratified. What did the 14th Amendment provide for African Americans? What does “due process” and “equal protection of the laws” mean?** [|14th LINK]

The 14th amendment allowed African Americans to become American citizens and to guard the rights of those individuals. When stating that African Americans cannot be "deprived of his life, liberty, or property without due process of law...equal protection of laws," America is saying that African Americans need to be treated equally and there are not exceptions. Also it is saying that whites cannot blame blacks without evidence.

**Unfortunately, your equal rights were challenged by the Supreme Court in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. What do you remember about the facts, decision, and impact of this case?** [|Plessy LINK]

I remember that Homer Plessy sat on the wrong car (white car) and was sent to jail. When he tried to go to the supreme court saying that it violated the 13th and 14th amendment they wouldn't listen. Though the amendments are there they are not enforced nor respected. It didn't bother me so much that America was segrigated, but that the qualities were different.

**The laws developed in the South became known as Jim Crow laws. Who was this Jim Crow fellow? Did he write the laws?**[| Jim Crow LINK]

The Jim Crow laws were basicaly segregation laws. Jim Crow was a character in a play. Eventualy people started to refer to African Americans as Jim Crows. Later on Jim Crow no longer described African Americans, but the laws.


 * What are some specific examples of the Jim Crow laws from southern states? How did the laws affect you?** [|Jim Crow Laws LINK 1] / [|Jim Crow Laws LINK 2] / [|Jim Crow Laws LINK 3]

Separate schools were created, on the train whites must sit in the nicer white car and African Americans must sit in the coloured car, white and black cannot play together, and blacks must sit in the back of the bus. The laws restricted what we could and could not do.


 * What did Jim Crow America look like in the 1900s? What are some images that can help explain the realities of the time?** __Jim Crow Images LINK 1 __/ [|Jim Crow Images LINK 2]

In the 1900's lynching of African Americans was very common, people didn't even always have evedence to support their claim. The movie theaters would be segregated, whites in the front blacks in the back. Almost everything was segregated giving the whites the better items and blacks what is left over.


 * What happened in the Scottsboro Case? How did it make you feel as an African American in the South?** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Scottsboro LINK]

Nine black boys were accused of raping white women. The boys were on a train trying to find work. A fight broke out and two white hobos fell off the train. The boys got arrested. They were then later charged for rapping the white woman. This never happened, but in court they didn't stand a chance at proving their case. This made me feel discusted with America. They call themselves the land of the free and claim to treat people equally. I wouldn't believe that for a moment. Their rights were being ignored and no one cared.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What do some of your friends and family say about life in Jim Crow America? (listen to one or two)** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Audio History LINK 1]

My friends are shocked with the way that African Americans are being treated. People have died because doctors fail to rush and help them due to their race. If you are white you could get away with almost anything such as steeling an African American's hard earned money and not get in trouble. Something had to be done because America could not continue this way.