Impact Of Jim Crow Laws In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the 1930’s and even today, our country has struggled to overcome the racial injustices of Jim Crow. Since the 1930’s, Jim Crow laws have led to the discrimination that occurs and takes place today. These laws violate the laws of today, with the one-sided, unfair treatment of others. It breaks the law of “All men are created equal.” Nothing has changed since then. In To Kill A Mockingbird, a fictional novel by Harper Lee, it shows the audience the lasting effect of Jim Crow laws in Maycomb, Alabama where the narrator, Scout FInch, slowly understands the rationalization for these laws over the course of her childhood. By evaluating the impact of Jim Crow laws on black rights both in the 1930s and today, it can be determined that these laws

have largely remained in effect on justice for African Americans over time.
During the time of Jim Crow Laws, someone could see the injustices that the blacks were forced to face. The audience sees just how often black people are treated unjustly to white people. In chapter 20 of To Kill A Mockingbird, Reverend Sykes says, “Now don’t you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man…”(279). This shows that the jury, even after all the evidence they have heard about the case and the truth about what really happened, is biased towards the side of whites versus blacks. It took the jury some time to come to an agreement, because some of the jury members were standing up for what was right. Mayella was beaten by her own father, Mr. Ewell lied under oath, and the black man convicted of rape is not capable of committing this crime. According to Britannica Library, “Racial segregation provides a means of maintaining the economic advantages and superior social status of the politically dominant group, and in recent times it has been employed primarily by white populations to maintain their ascendancy over other groups by means of legal and social colour bars”(N.p.). During the 1930’s blacks were not allowed to do some of the same things that whites could. They has separate facilities, and usually the whites had better things than the blacks did. Reverend Sykes is implying to Jem that the jury is always in favor of a white man versus a black man. The separate but equal treatment was biased to the whites. Jim Crow Laws controlled the rights of African Americans during that time, such as where they could go, and what they could do. In chapter 10, Calpurnia goes to the front door of the Radley house to warn them about the rabid dog. Jem says, “Look, she ain’t even going to the back door”(273). To Jem and Scout, it seems okay for Calpurnia to go to the Radley house through the backdoor. Speaking through the perspective of Jim Crow, one can identify that Cal was breaking the rules of this time. During this time period, blacks had to enter through the backdoor of a building, for the whites only entered through the front door. Also according to Britannica Library, “Racial segregation, the practice of restricting people to certain circumscribed areas of residence or to separate institutions (e.g., schools, churches) and facilities (parks, playgrounds, restaurants, restrooms) on the basis of race or alleged race”(N.p.). Given the time period of To Kill A Mockingbird, Jim Crow Laws were in place to restrict certain races from being in specific areas. Calpurnia, however, forgets her status and goes to the front door of the Radley house, breaking the laws. The consequences of the inability to follow these laws could result in a number of punishments. In the 1930’s, Jim Crow Laws was associated with racial discrimination and segregation, for the unjust treatment of blacks. Today, Jim Crow laws, may not be there, but still have effect. Nothing has changed…
Today, and every day, one can easily see the racial injustices blacks face from the past, and the Jim Crow Laws of the 1930’s.

Today, blacks are beaten down by the sense of racial injustices continually even though some feel it should be stopped. In chapter 20, Atticus says during his speech, “That all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women”(273). This quote directly hurts the African American community themselves in the sense that he says “all.” Jim crow would agree with this, confirming the inferiority of the blacks. Although, Atticus himself doesn’t believe this, he says it during the trial to furthermore elaborate on the innocence of Tom Robinson. According to PBS.com, “The (Jim Crow) laws affected almost every aspect of daily life, mandating segregation of schools, parks, libraries, drinking fountains, restrooms, buses, trains, and restaurants”(Freedom Riders). The daily life referred to in the quote above talks about today, everyday, and life in the 1930’s. The facilities that blacks were forced to use was worse, compared to those of the whites. The laws said “separate but equal treatment”, but apparently didn’t do so. Everywhere you go, you are moved by the racism seen and heard, because of the Jim Crow Laws of the 1930’s. In chapter 9, a conversation between Scout and Atticus start her (Scout’s) first experience of racism, “Do you defend niggers, Atticus?”I asked him that evening. “Of course I do. Don’t say nigger Scout. That’s common. “‘S what everybody at school says”(85(different book)). Scout goes to school and even in kindergarten, kids already discriminate those for their race. Cecil Jacobs picks on Scout only because Atticus is defending Tom Robinson. When people go to school everyday, they hear plenty of racist remarks and comments, but for some reason, nothing has been done to protect the rights of others. This racism has gone too far, and somehow, no one has done

anything about this issue. PBS.com’s “American Experience” says, "The very fact that there were separate facilities was to say to black people and white people that blacks were so subhuman and so inferior that we could not even use the public facilities that white people used”(Freedom Riders). The forms of racial discrimination and segregation went on for miles, in the 1930’s and in today’s society. Blacks are somehow inferior, and had a lower status than whites only because of the color of their skin. Today, predominantly African American areas don’t have the same facilities the whites and other races have access to. Other races were mistreated, but mainly African Americans. Something, sometime, somewhere has to change. Today, blacks continually face the many injustices that fly their way, and keep doing so for the aid of the Jim Crow laws from the 1930’s has supported it.
It can be determined that these laws have largely remained in effect on justice for African Americans over time y evaluating the impact of Jim Crow laws on black rights both in the 1930s and today. In the 1930’s and even today, our country has struggled to overcome the racial injustices of Jim Crow. Since the 1930’s, Jim Crow laws have led to the discrimination that occurs and takes place today. These laws violate the laws of today, with the one-sided, unfair treatment of others. It breaks the law of “All men are created equal.” Nothing has changed since then.