Examples Of Racism In A Lesson Before Dying

Racism is More than Black and White
In Ernes J. Gaines novel A Lesson Before Dying, tells a story that was during late 1940. The 1940’s were times that were separation and racism. During that Time African Americans had no say in society. Jefferson was commit for a crime that he don’t do. “The Defense argued that Jefferson was innocent from all charges except being at the wrong place at the wrong time” (Gaines 7). This does not mean nothing to the jury, and still prosecuted him and gave him death. A Lesson before Dying has different types of racism that was included in the novel. There are three different types of racism that was shown in the novel such as, racism among other African Americans, and white Americans and how they perceived White’s

that respect blacks.
One type of racism that is displayed in the novel was African Americas vs. African Americas. This type of racism is were African-Americans divided themselves into groups. Many people think that racism is a simple subject but racism is not as cut and dry as people would like to make it. African Americans divided themselves into two different categories light completion vs darker completion. This type of separation started in slavery. The light-skinned slaves were kept in the house to do house duties and the darker completion slaves were made to do fields work outside. This technique was to turn slaves against one other and too splitting them into groups. The goal of this technique was to control the slaves’ minds and thoughts. “A myth is an old lie people believe in. White people believe that they’re better than anyone else on earth and that myth. The last thing they ever want is to see a black man stand, and think and show the common humanity that is in us all”.(piacentino). As the author Piacention stated the slaver owned didn’t want to see the African American men have their own thoughts and opinions, because if you control someone’s mind you can make someone do anything you want them to do. One example of how this racism continued is the paper bag test. This test was used to determine an American African social classes and if they would be accepted. Such as in A Lesson Before dying Vivian came from a light skinned mixed community but her marring a very dark-skinned man. Vivian kept the marriage secret because she knew her family would not accepted them getting married.
The black and white separation has been going on since slavery.

This separation is where white settlers come into Africa and began to sell, raped, and kill African Americans. Racism is still an issue in our country and racism is in your back yard. Many people might think that racism against African Americans has decreased, but in reality it’s just the beginning. During slavery white American believed that African American were animal “A concord animal to strike quickly out of fear, a trait inherited from his ancestors in the deepest jungle of blackest Africa” (Gaines 7). The defense maintained that he was innocent all his charges but he was changer because he was an Africa American men. Society saw African Americans as stupid, unintelligent, and insane. Jefferson defense wanted to show him how Society viewed and felt about him. This is a seamless example of the way the attorney sees Jefferson because he compared scared animal not as a men. Since, Jefferson was African America his attorney as well as the jury already saw Jefferson as guilty due to the color of his skin. If Jefferson was not black he would have a fair trial. Sheriff Guidry was white but he treated every one with respect. He thought that Jefferson should be left along to die happy and

peacefully.
In the 1960, treating African Americans with respect was look down upon. When white Americans treat them with respect their communities they look down on them. During that time if white Americans treated African Americans with respect, kindness or had sympathy for them they were called “nigger lover.” The term “nigger lover” came from white American that don’t like the idea that white and black can get along. Such as in the novel to kill a mocking bird “nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything—like snot-nose. It's hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody." (Atticus 205) Atticus was trying to explain the mean of that word to scout and try to show the ignorance of people.