Examples Of Racial Injustice In America

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In 1692, in Salem Massachusetts, over 18 people were accused of witchcraft and were eventually hung. This was known as the Salem witch trials, there was no legitimate evidence that the accused were in contact with the devil. However, this horrific event was not the only example of injustice in the US. Since 1849 racial injustice has had an enormous effect on America. Many innocent people have been killed or imprisoned because of rash decisions and a lack of evidence. Martin luther King Jr once said; “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” On April 4 1968 Martin Luther King Jr, a social activist who was determined to end African-American inequality and injustice was shot dead in Memphis Tennessee. Before his assassination he …show more content…

These unreasonable laws were considered to be “separate but equal.” Blacks were required to attend separate schools, churches, restrooms and it was a must that they sit in the rear of the bus. On December 1, 1995 in Montgomery Alabama,one brave and heroic woman, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man, she also refused sit in the back of the bus. Rosa was arrested and convicted of violating the “Jim Crow Laws”. This angered many civil rights activist and led to the initiation of the Montgomery bus boycott under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. 90 percent of montgomery's black citizens stayed off the buses through 1996, they even created a list of demands for transportation. However, these demands were denied and black taxi drivers were penalized for helping the boycotters. The Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) created a carpool service for black citizens and in retaliation the homes of E.D Nixon and Martin Luther King Jr were bombed. Martin was determined and he never stopped until justice was given and equality was achieved. On June 5 1996 the federal court came to the conclusion that bus segregation was unconstitutional, laws regarding segregated seatings on public busses were cancelled and on December 20 1996 King shut down the boycott.This was not enough for King he wanted to witness this …show more content…

On August 24, 1955 fourteen- year- old Emmett Louis Till was visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi, four days later he was taken from his home and was killed. Born and raised in a middle-class neighborhood in Chicago Illinois Emmett was naive to the laws in the South. Emmett’s mother Mamie was sceptical about letting her only child take the risk of going to the south. Three days after his arrival in Money Emmett and his cousins took a trip to the local store after a long day of picking cotton. No one really knows what happened in the store but some say that Till flirted or touched the white clerk who was also the store owners wife. At approximately 2:30 AM Roy Bryant The husband of the clerk and his half brother took Emmett from his uncles house. They beat and tortured him then dragged him to the bank of the Tallahatchie River, where they shot him in the head and tied him to barbed wire and a large fan then threw his body into the river. Three days after Emmett's murder his body was pulled out of the river, his face was mutilated and he could hardly be recognized. They only way he could be recognized was by the ring on his finger that had “I.T” engraved in it. Emmett Tills case went to court, but justice was not served. Blacks were not allowed in the courtroom nor women so Roy and his brother