Effects Of Jim Crow Laws On African Americans

Jim Crow: The Continuous Oppressor of the Black Community

After centuries of unpaid labor, Black (or African American) citizens were finally able to enjoy the freedom that the United States brought. However, this joy did not last long before the nation’s federal government legalized various discriminatory laws known as Jim Crow Laws. Despite the abolishment of these laws, the Black community continues to feel the negative effects instilled within them. Not only did the Jim Crow Laws hinder economic and educational opportunities, they also restricted African American communities from being able to cast votes and created an overall more discriminatory society for them to live in. By segregating both public and private property, Black people struggled

Not only does a vote serve as a person’s voice, electing representatives who represent all the people’s issues and goals help modify the community for the better. Unfortunately, these opportunities were not given freely to African Americans. Jim Crow Laws implemented various types of tests and methods to deter Black people from voting. For example, before being allowed to register to vote, most southern state voting officials enforced that Black people “pass literacy tests or recite the Constitution” (Pendergast 121). This method was highly effective because the majority of African American people were not taught how to read or write during slavery and therefore did not pass. This meant that White elected officials were able to stay in power and continue to oppress the Black community. In other states, officials adopted a tactic called the “Grandfather Clause” which denied suffrage eligibility for whoever’s grandfather was not able to vote (McConnell 1). Regrettably, the Jim Crow Laws influenced much more than African American voting

When millions of enslaved people were freed in 1865 by the 13th Amendment, most had no idea how to read or write. Those who were able to establish themselves by building homes, becoming educated, and creating businesses within a generation or two were harassed or killed by White mobs. One famous example is the 1921 Tulsa Massacre. Tulsa, Oklahoma was home to Greenwood Avenue, also known as “America’s Black Wall Street” (Parshina-Kottas 2). Within a matter of less than twenty-four hours, 27 million dollars worth of Black prosperity was stolen, burned, or destroyed. Many African Americans moved to Tulsa after the Civil War and carried dreams of self-owned businesses. Jim Crow Laws prevented African Americans from buying items from most White-owned businesses. In response, Greenwood residents created their own insular community which thrived from Black-owned businesses (Parshina-Kottas 4-6). The massacre started due to a rape accusation and a fight between a White and Black man. The mob begin to shoot, set fires, drop dynamite, and loot homes and businesses. The Black people who survived and attempted to rebuild on their land were rejected by insurance companies. Tulsa officials purposely ignored and hid what happened in Greenwood (Parshina-Kottas 10). Unfortunately, this was one of many instances that White mobs obliterated Black success. White people also placed social restrictions on the Black community, these