Discrimination against African Americans, 1945-1954
Learn more about the experiences of African-Americans in this podcast.
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Jim Crow laws and segregation
Jim Crow laws were two types of laws. Some were laws written specifically to create inequality and To treat someone differently or unfairly because they belong to a particular group. Others were laws that states manipulated to enforce harsh treatment of African Americans.
Jim Crow laws continued after World War Two. African Americans received the worst treatment in the southern states. However, there was inequality across the whole of America.
Many states had variations of Jim Crow laws. For example, New York only allowed African Americans who owned property to vote. Although racism was not limited to the southern states, the experience of African Americans was significantly worse in the South. This meant that white people and black people had to live separately. The areas of society affected by segregation included churches, hospitals, theatres and schools. was enforced in full there due to the racist culture that had remained in society following the end of the Civil War and the Emanciptation Proclamation.
Many areas in society were segregated, such as public water fountains and cinemas. The The ultimate court of appeal in the USA. It makes the final decision on whether a law is permitted by the US Constitution. had stated in the Plessy v Ferguson (1896) ruling that these facilities should be 'separate but equal'. However, this was rarely the case. African Americans often had to walk out of town to access their facilities. Local governments spent less on these facilities’ upkeep compared to what they spent on facilities for white people.
Cinemas in the South provide an example of how segregation affected African Americans:
- They were only allowed to sit in seats at the back of the cinema.
- They experienced the hottest and most uncomfortable conditions, as the seats at the back were often raised above the other seats.
- They were kept from interacting with or being in sight of white audience members.
Voting rights
Despite African Americans being given the legal right to vote in 1865, most African Americans in the South were unable to do so. The 15th A change made to the US Constitution after it came into force in 1789. to the US A set of laws by which a country is governed. which had been passed in 1870, had made it illegal to stop anyone voting because of their race. This meant the southern states had to restrict African Americans’ access to their right to vote in other ways.
| Method | How it prevented African Americans from voting |
| Poll tax | Many southern states introduced a poll tax. People had to pay this to be able to vote, and many African Americans couldn’t afford to do so. The poll tax also stopped many white people from voting, so a ‘grandfather clause’ was introduced. This meant that anyone with a father or grandfather who could vote before the end of slavery in the USA did not have to pay the tax. |
| Literacy tests | Some states, such as Louisiana, set literacy tests for anyone who couldn’t prove that they had received an education until they were ten years old. This included much of the African American population as they often left education early to earn money to support their families. These tests were difficult to pass and anyone who failed was banned from voting. This was a legal method of restricting African Americans from voting in elections. An example of a confusing question from a Louisiana literacy test was, ‘Write right from the left to the right as you see it spelled here.’ |
| Method | Poll tax |
|---|---|
| How it prevented African Americans from voting | Many southern states introduced a poll tax. People had to pay this to be able to vote, and many African Americans couldn’t afford to do so. The poll tax also stopped many white people from voting, so a ‘grandfather clause’ was introduced. This meant that anyone with a father or grandfather who could vote before the end of slavery in the USA did not have to pay the tax. |
| Method | Literacy tests |
|---|---|
| How it prevented African Americans from voting | Some states, such as Louisiana, set literacy tests for anyone who couldn’t prove that they had received an education until they were ten years old. This included much of the African American population as they often left education early to earn money to support their families. These tests were difficult to pass and anyone who failed was banned from voting. This was a legal method of restricting African Americans from voting in elections. An example of a confusing question from a Louisiana literacy test was, ‘Write right from the left to the right as you see it spelled here.’ |
Some groups opposed black Americans being able to vote, such as the A white supremacist organisation that used violence and intimidation to target black, immigrant, Jewish and Catholic people. Its members believe, based on incorrect and unscientific ideas about evolution, that white people are superior and should therefore hold the power in society. They used violence at polling stations, where people went to vote, to intimidate any African Americans who could still vote.
Violence, the police and the courts
During this period, in both the north and the south, many police officers and authority figures did not treat people from different races equally. Many of them, as a result of prejudiced and racist attitudes, believed that it was part of their role to protect white people from African Americans. Their actions reflected the racist attitudes and stereotypes present in society at this time.
The police often ignored public beatings and Executing someone (usually by hanging) without a legal trial. of African Americans, especially in the South. Courts used all-white juries when white people were on trial for attacking African Americans. The Ku Klux Klan infiltrated law enforcement in many areas. For example, in Alabama, the city of Birmingham became known as ‘Bombingham’ due to the number of Ku Klux Klan bombs that targeted prominent Americans. Over 40 incidents went unpunished, through either the police not making arrests or courts finding defendants not guilty.
More guides on this topic
- Anti-Communism c.1945-1954 - OCR A
- Civil rights in the USA 1954-1964 - OCR A
- Broadening of the campaigns for civil rights - Race - OCR A
- Broadening of the campaigns for civil rights - Women's rights - OCR A
- Broadening of the campaigns for civil rights - Gay rights - OCR A
- Politics and protest - OCR A
- Social problems and attempts to tackle them - OCR A
