Summary Of Question Of The Month: Jim Crow Etiquette

When President Abraham Lincoln declared “...all persons held as a slave are henceforward free,” he intended for all citizens, regardless of race, to have all rights given to Americans under the constitution. However, up until the 1960’s, this was prohibited by Jim Crow laws. These laws were state and local rules that enforced segregation and discrimination between races. Consequently, racial tension grew among communities. This hostile mood is often seen as an important aspect of southern culture in the 1930’s. In addition, other aspects of the 1930’s included manners and hospitality. Social etiquette was a prominent feature in the South, as many believed it was an important trait to have, especially in the south. Sadly, this belief was disregarded

Due to Jim Crow laws, African Americans experienced discrimination and segregation in their communities; these rules violated their constitutional rights. In addition, caucasians had a belief that they were the superior race, and oppressed African Americans into treating them as so. As a result, African Americans lost all kinds of social freedoms, from being able to argue with peers, to sitting down in a restaurant. As Ronald Davis, author of “Question of the Month: Jim Crow Etiquette” explained, “The whole intent of Jim Crow etiquette boiled down to one simple rule: blacks must demonstrate their inferiority to whites by actions, words, and manners.” These unjust rules created racial tension that led to crimes being committed towards African Americans, without any repercussions. Thus, fear was embedded into them. For example, in an autobiographical sketch, Richard Wright, a black man, revealed his story involving white people in the thirties. After being physically assaulted by a group of white teens when he was young, he noted that “Even today when I think of white folks, the hard sharp outlines of white houses surrounded by trees, lawns, and hedges are present somewhere in the background of my mind. Throughout the years they grew into an overreaching symbol of fear” (Wright 1). Caucasians could get away with anything, without justification. During this time, the law was corrupt and in favor of them. Furthermore, after the Plessy vs. Ferguson ruling, which declared separate but equal facilities, black people were forced to use facilities based on their color. However, these establishments were not equal. According to PBS.org, even though Plessy vs Ferguson ruled separate but equal, the facilities for the black community was always inferior to whites, or wouldn’t exist at all in some places. For example, black and white people would have different water fountains and bathrooms. Also, in most