How Is Jim Crowe Laws Related To Racial Equality

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For 75 years following reconstruction the United States made little advancement towards racial equality. Many parts of the nation enacted Jim Crowe laws making separation of the races not just a matter of practice but a matter of law. The laws were implemented with the explicit purpose of keeping black American’s from being able to enjoy the rights and freedoms their white counterparts took for granted. Despite the efforts of so many nameless forgotten heroes, the fate of African Americans seemed to be in the hands of a racist society bent on keeping them down; however that all began to change following World War II. Thousands of African American men returned from Europe with a renewed purpose and determined to break the proverbial chains …show more content…

King understood that the right to vote was Black Americas best hope at achieving true equality. He stated, “Give us the right to vote and we will no longer have to worry the Federal Government about our basic rights.” Dr. King was not the only person to understand this to be true. Despite being a Senator from Texas, Lyndon Johnson was committed to Civil rights action. As Senate Majority Leader, Johnson sent the bill to conference committee to appease Southern Senators, which resulted in much of the teeth being removed from the original bill. Despite this set back he felt strongly it was better than having no bill at all. This frustrated many who wanted stronger action and gave fuel to feed the fire of the laws opponents. Dr. Sarah H. Brown, a History Professor at Florida Atlantic University who specializes in the Civil Rights Movement in the South, addresses that in her article, “The Role of Elite Leadership in the Southern Defense of Segregation, 1954-1964” which appeared in The Journal of Southern History in November 2011. Dr. Brown argues that defiance to Civil Rights legislation, specifically voting right legislation, reached a religious like fervor among Southern politicians. It appeared that neither side was happy with the …show more content…

Garrow is a Professor of History and Law at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Law. In an article he wrote titled, “The Voting Rights Act in Historical Perspective” he wrote about the importance of the 1957 Civil Rights Act. He claimed,” Although many commentators realized even at the time of its enactment what a modest initiative the 1957 Act was, it nonetheless heralded a new phase in the voting rights struggle.” In 1960 Senator Johnson oversaw the passage of another Civil Rights Act and in 1964 as President he signed into law the 1964 Civil Rights Act; a year later the 1965 Voting Rights Act. They were the most comprehensive pieces of Civil Rights Legislation in the history of the

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