tkam7-2

= Research Log = toc


 * //"In this perilous world, if a black boy wanted to live a halfway normal life and die a natural death //**
 * // he had to learn early the art of how to get along with white folks." //**


 * //- Benjamin Mays, recalling his childhood in rural South Carolina //**

__ Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) __


Homer Plessy was the plaintiff of the case. He was 7/8 white and 1/8 black. He had the appearance of a white man. Plessy was arrested and imprisoned for taking possession of a vacant white-only car on a train. He filed a petition against the judge of his trial; Hon. John Ferguson. He argued that the segregation law that constituted his arrest, violated the Equal Protection Clause. The Supreme Court ruled that the 14th Amendment only so far as political and civil rights, not social rights. It was unanimous because there was no mention of anyone opposing the argument. The ruling gave a "Constitutional nod" to racial segregation in public places, for closing legal challenges against increasing segregated institution throughout the South.

We believe that the ruling was completely unfair. Technically, Plessy was seven-eighths white, so he should have won the trial.

The Origin of "Jim Crow"


// Timeline: //
 * 1883: the U.S. Supreme Court declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional. The Court also ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment kept state governments from discriminating against people because of race but did not keep private organizations or individuals from doing so.
 * 1843: A group of four white men from Virginia, calling themselves "Virginia Minstrels" smeared black cork on their faces and put on a song-and-dance act in a small hall in New York City. This included the infamous Daddy Rice, who performed a song with the phrase "Jim Crow" in it.
 * Late 1800's: Jim Crow laws, named for the minstrel show character, were passed in the late 1800s by the legislatures of the Southern states that discriminated against, and restricted the freedoms of African Americans in the south.
 * 1914 every southern state had passed laws that created two separate societies: one black, the other white.

After the Civil War, many former slaves left the rural areas to live in towns and cities. During Reconstruction, blacks and whites often used the same public facilities but didn't hang out with each other socially.

However, some white southerners thought that the large urban black communities, which provided labor for factories, created a threat. The white southerners couldn't control these new communities the same way they had been able to control the blacks in a more rural setting, where they were dependent on the whites for work. In the city, blacks and whites competed for jobs, and some felt there was a danger of social mixing. The whites felt a need to gain more control over the blacks in the city. This is one dilemma that led to the Jim Crow laws.

Jim Crow was unfair and began for simple-minded reasons. Not only is it insulting that they were created for the purpose of "controlling blacks", it is extremely insulting that the name of these laws came from some trashy minstrel show that is derogatory towards African Americans. Such unfairness ignites anger in anyone learning about these troublesome times. 

Examples of Jim Crow Laws

 * Christian: ** I chose the __**Co**____ **habitation** __ law from Florida. This law states that any interracial couple (married couples) shall be punished by up to twelve months in prison and/or a fine of up to $500. In my opinion this law is completely // stupid // because it was against Florida laws for an interracial couple to marry, so they would always have to face this law. I would rather have left and lived in another state than endure this unjust and idiotic law.
 * Alexandra: ** I chose the **__Pool and Billiard Rooms__** from Alabama. According to the law "It shall be unlawful for a Negro and white person to play together or in company with each other at any game of pool or billiards." The way I see it, this law is not only unfair, but it is also pointless. If I were African American (or still myself, since I'm not white), I would be greatly irritated if I had to worry about who I am playing pool with, so I would either not play pool, or play pool at home to avoid being restricted this ridiculous law. I might even leave the state, since there will probably worse laws than this (after all, was considered one of the most Jim Crow ridden states at that time).
 * Morgan: **I chose the **__Intermarriage__** law from Georgia. The law states that all white people must marry another white person and that any marriage not in accordance will be considered void. I think this law is utterly ridiculous, though not as ridiculous as some of the other laws. If I lived in a state that enforced this law I would immediately leave the state and fine one that is tolerant and open-minded towards all things.

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[[image:http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/W/Madame-CJ-Walker-9522174-1-402.jpg width="200"]]
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Madam C.J. Walker <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Born December 23, 1867 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Born on a Louisiana cotton plantation <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">-Believed in philanthropy and black women's economic independence -Started her own line of hair-care products, set up a mail-order business in Denver. Set up many schools and manufacturing plants operating in the U.S, Central America, and the Caribbean. -She tried to join The National Negro Business League but was denied. -She was a very influential business figure so she should have been accepted into the league. It is also very rare for an African-American woman to become wealthy, so she must have worked her entire life.

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<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em;">George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. Narrative
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Unknown Birth Date <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Unknown Birthplace

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Butterfield's uncle was hit by a motorist when he was riding his bicycle, and he was sent to a black hospital. They called a white doctor who did not show up for a long while. They then called a black doctor who refused to assist the patient because they had called the white doctor first, and he did not want to offend him. Eight hours later, the white doctor came to check on his uncle, and then left.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Several hours later, his uncle died.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The reason why the doctor did not show up for several hours is because "white patients always came first."

//Personal reactions of group members to this person:// Though the story is very tragic and the death of his uncle could have been prevented if the black doctor had came, the black doctor did what was in his best interest, since he probably would have been fired if he'd offended the white doctor.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 1.1em;">Race Riot of 1919 in Washington DC
Occurred July 19, 1919 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A black man was released from trial a fter being suspected of raping a white woman. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Because of this, white people started this riot, and in the end there were less white people arrested than there were blacks.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Facts: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">-Washington DC's black community was the biggest in the country. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">//-//This is similar to the plot of __To Kill A Mockingbird__.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">//Personal reactions of group members:// It's ironic that injustice was used against the blacks because of a just release. It is also incredibly unjust that black people were arrested more than whites, and the whits were the people to start the riot and fight.

1.) a.This picture is sad, ironic, and moronic. b. Sign saying "Positivity no beer sold to Indians", a banner saying "God Bless America, We are Proud to be Americans", A sign saying "We do not give credit or loan money, please don't ask", a shelf of cigarettes, a person's head, a bell?, a poster of a pin-up girl

2.) **No beer sold to Indians** b. Marion Post Wolcott captured this photograph in <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">Birney, Montana, August of 1941. Most likely to show the racism in Montana?

3.) a. Entire caption: <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 1.5;">Birney, Montana. August 1941. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Marion Post Wolcott, photographer. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Signs behind the bar." [Sign:"Positively no beer sold to Indians."] (This is the same sign as in #27.) c. Racist sign towards Indians, "God Bless America" sign, "Credit and Loaning" sign, persons head, woman on a sign **What we missed:** Picture in the back
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Location: **<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> G-9067
 * <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Reproduction Number: **<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> LC-USF34-58504-D
 * Agreed: **

We did not notice the sign in the back but it might have been important. Otherwise, our colleges noticed what we noticed. This picture reminds us that it wasn't only African Americans who suffered from the unfairness of Jim Crow laws.

//**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">"You know, if we were to look back and how we were in 1955 living in Jim Crow, **// //**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">living in segregation, living in segregated schools, **// //**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">it's hard to believe that it was America, **// //**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">but it really was." **//

//**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">-Anna Deavere Smith **//