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Background
When attempting a retrospective on the history of United States of America, the nature of American statehood becomes quite apparent. The fact that the greatest portion of its existence America has been exploiting slave labor, marking it as its greatest pillar of its economical success, can be made clear by anyone studying history with an unbiased vision. However, the so-called “Jim Crow” era might pose even a greater interest, since it is particularly at this time the true face of supposed American democracy shows through. In the following presentation, visual evidence along with factual information pertaining to the era is offered – and, albeit being incredibly assuring, it allows for an independent, objective decision to be made.
Erwitt, E. (1950). North Carolina. Magnum. Web.
“A picture is worth a thousand words” – and these words even more compelling if it is a photograph. This one – which might be the most famous representation of Jim Crow’s blatant inequality, is of a man drinking from a segregated water fountain. The quality of the services offered to “colored” people, It comes as no surprise, that all public facilities and spaces were segregated, particularly in the Southern states. The jumpstart for racial segregation of Jim Crow is traditionally from a 1892 court case, Plessy v. Ferguson, “concerning whether racial segregation laws requiring African Americans and whites to use different public facilities were constitutional” (Hussey, 2016, p. 28).
Wolcott, M. P. (1939). Negro going in colored entrance of movie house on Saturday afternoon. Library of Congress. Web.
Naturally, the propaganda of Jim Crow spread into numerous areas of American lifestyle – from advertisement and media to the functioning of public spaces, healthcare faculties, movie theatres and amusement parks, public pools and housing. Movie theatres, like many other faculties like cafes and restaurants, were enforcing the racist regime of segregation out of sheer will – and the appeal of economic profits – while not being guided by law directly. According to Gil & Marion (2019), “segregation in public accommodation persisted in many parts of the country”, and while Southern states legislated the separation, “segregation was often practiced by choice of businesses” such as movie theatres. Some movie theatres refused to serve black customers at all, while others offered segregated seats farthest from the screen. As evidence shows, this decision was not depriving of profit the owner: since its stakeholders, whose majority constitutes whites with racist prejudices.
Wolcott, M. P. (1939). A doctor’s office in Merigold, Mississippi. Library of Congress. Web.
Segregation was denying them adequate fulfillment of their civil and human rights. Such is the case with healthcare – and schooling, for that matter – during the times of Jim Crow. As Newkirk writes, “segregation is baked into the way people and institutions discuss healthcare”. The effect of the restrictions put on healthcare, arguably, can still be seen in the modern times when inspecting the sociological condition of African-Americans. In the times under discussion, Jim Crow outlawed any form of integration of healthcare, making it completely separated for black and white population. Many hospitals “maintained separate wings or staff that could never intermingle” (Newkirk, 2016). As education was also rigidly segregated, the black hospitals experienced the deficit of medical professionals of African origin (Newkirk, 2016). General poorer healthcare of black people, however, is a result of conditioned living in more dangerous and unhealthy ways – and while some deaths are attributable to being denied medical services, most come from a cumulative factors.
Blackwell, F. (1963). A sit-in demonstration at Woolworth’s lunch counter in Jackson, Missisipi. The Washington Post. Web.
While later, black people efficiently used parks as spaces for social protest, there was another place where colored people frequently protested. These places are diners, cafes, restaurants – where black people were often prohibited to sit at the lunch counter and we expected to stand and eat instead (Hussey, 2016). A group of revolutionary students, however, was determined to change that. Franklin McCain, , David Richmond Jibreel Khazan and Joseph McNeil – known as the Greensborough Four – conducted a peaceful protest sitting at the lunch counter. The demonstration was torturous for the students as the gathered crowd assaulted the protesters in many ways (Civil Rights). However, these lunch counter sit-ins had a wide media coverage nationwide and as a result, a number of Southern restaurants started to integrate (Nolan). In that sense, this form of protest can be considered a spark for the Civil Rights Movement.
Parks, G. (1956). Outside Looking In; Mobile, Alabama. Gordon Parks Foundation. Web.
Coming back to the topic of entertainment and relaxation, one must say that amusement parks and playgrounds were segregated as well. They, like all other aspects of social life of black population were majorly suppressed. For instance, in New Orleans, three parks in particular – Dixie Park, Lincoln Park, and Johnson Park – became a symbol of black initiative in arranging a recreational space for the community. This was done not only out of enthusiasm – but out of necessity, when African-Americans realized their efforts to petition the government to appoint black parks, were in vain (McQueeney, 2019). In the beginning, parks were whites-only spaces since “the late 19th and early 20th centuries” (McQueeney, 2019, p. 445). The same happened in other cities, like Atlanta, Houston and Memphis – around the same time period (McQueeney, 2019). Thus, parks were one of the most segregated public spaces, however, black people were still able to integrate them, despite in insufficient numbers.
Advertisements of the era
The topic of ads of Jim Crow era is particularly interesting, and perhaps, one of the most repugnant to a sane person. Ads, posters, household items and toys were used for a variety of reasons from conditioning whites to despise black people to exploiting the stereotypes to sell a product (Hix, 2016). All this riotous imagery was used precisely for reinforcement of the racial regime. To say the least, “If you believed that black men were Sambos, childlike buffoons, for example, then why would they be allowed to vote?” (Hix, 2016, p. 11). Essentially, “caricatures, and the stereotypes which accompanied them, became rationalizations for keeping blacks at the bottom” of social order (Hix, 2016, p. 14). The stereotypes portrayed different aspects – one, the idea that African-Americans are natural servants; or – oversexualized women known as Sapphires. (Hix, 2016).
References
Blackwell, F. (1963). A sit-in demonstration at Woolworth’s lunch counter in Jackson, Missisipi [Photograph]. The Washington Post. Web.
Erwitt, E. (1950). North Carolina, 1950 [Photograph]. Magnum. Web.
Gil, R. &Marion, J. (2019). Why did firms practice segregation? Evidence from movie theatres during Jim Crow. UCSC. Web.
Hix, L. (2016). How America Bought and Sold Racism, and Why It Still Matters. Collectors Weekly. Web.
Hussey, M. (2016). The rise of the Jim Crow Era. Britannica Educational Publishing.
Kawashima, M. (2017). American History, Race and the Struggle for Equality. Macmillian.
Newkirk, V. R. (2016). America’s Health Segregation Problem. The Atlantic.
Nolan, T. (n/d). Lunch Counter Sit-Ins. Civil Rights. Web.
McQueeney, K. G. (2019). More than Recreation: Black Parks and Playgrounds in Jim Crow New Orleans. Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, 60(4) , pp. 437-478
Parks, G. (1956). Outside Looking In; Mobile, Alabama. [Photograph]. Gordon Parks Foundation.
Schenck’s Seaweed Tonic. (1885). Boston Public Library via Digital Commonwealth. Web.
Unknown poster, (n.d.). Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia
Wolcott, M. P. (1939). Negro going in colored entrance of movie house on Saturday afternoon [Photograph]. Library of Congress. Web.
Wolcott, M. P. (1939). A doctor’s office in Merigold, Mississippi [Photograph]. Library of Congress. Web.
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