How Does Racism Affect Society In The 1930's

Since the 1930’s, milestones have been reached as to racial equality and equal rights in America, but there are still issues between black and white. Today, racism is an existing part of society. News headlines of “Police Brutality” flash across the television screen from time to time. Racial stereotypes are a common mindset for some people. Back in the 1930’s however, racism and segregation was everywhere. In To Kill a Mockingbird, racism was a substantial cause of many problems throughout the story, including the main conflict. There were laws specifically designed to mistreat and persecute African-Americans. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, showed how racism affected society back then. Racism affected the way people lived in the 1930’s,

[...] I try to give ‘em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. When I come to town, which is seldom, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey—that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself, that’s why he lives the way he does.’” -Dolphus Raymond (Ch. 20). The way of life in the 1930’s was affected by discrimination between skin color.

Racism affected people’s ability to trust each other. generally, whites didn’t trust blacks because they saw them as inferior. Blacks, being subjected to discrimination, usually didn’t trust whites because of the way they were treated. Individually, some white people didn’t hold the belief that they were better than blacks, nor blacks dislike whites. However, when a black person would interact with a white person, the generalization was often that that whites were untrustworthy (and vice versa). This concept was shown in To Kill a Mockingbird when Jem and Scout went to Calpurnia’s church, and met Lula. “Lula stopped, but she said, ‘You ain’t got no business bringin‘ white chillun here —they got their church, we got ‘our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?’

Calpurnia said, ‘It’s the same God, ain’t it?’

Racism affected the way people lived, and how people trusted and judged others. Dolphus Raymond was an example of the way of life in the 1930’s, and how frowned upon the idea of desegregation was. Lula and the Church exemplified the trust between black and white. The verdict of Tom Robinson was a symbol of judgement based on skin color. Today, there is still racism all around the world. To Kill a Mockingbird has opened people’s eyes to how racism, segregation, and discrimination really was back then. This helps people decrease and prevent racism in future generations to