USA Black civil rights issue 2

Question 1

popular prejudice

Answer 1

evidence:
- future president theodore roosevelt stated; “a perfectly stupid race can never rise to such a high plane”

• additionally, a group of south politicians created a crusading group against black people claiming, characterising them through “barbarism, voodism, human sacrifice, and contaminated with venereal disease”

analysis:
- these examples reflect the views held at the time and the people claiming them were in positions were they were able to further push these narratives using their power.

counter analysis:
- in the south, only 3% of black people could vote. This could suggest the very limited political voice they had, and that they may have been able to combat the popular prejudice ideas if they had a voice.

evaluation:
- after the race riots, “this incident clearly shows the depth and extent of hatred and prejudice” - willoughby and willoughby.
- this shows that, without the prejudice and racism, other factors would not have been as prevalent

Question 2

separate but equal

Answer 2

evidence:
- the jim row laws were passed in the 1870s, and were a set of segregating laws

• the separate but equal decision was made in 1896, meaning black and white people could be segregated against as long as it was equal.

analysis:
- could only be challenged in court which made it exceptionally difficult to get rid of them as most politicians were prejudiced.

• gave southern legislators the ability to pass even more jim crow laws, strengthening a system of an almost unbreakable barrier to civil rights.

counter analysis:
-it could be argued that

evaluation:
- “black people said that the decision of the supreme court made it legal in the USA to discriminate against them and they were right” John kerr
- the 13th, 14th and 15th ammendments proved that protection had existed before hand so something else must have created a barrier during the 1870s.

Question 3

lack of political influence

Answer 3

evidence:
- in alabama in 1902, the amount of black voters went from 180,000 to only 3,000.

• black people were denied the right to sit on juries in the south.

analysis:
- almost no black people had the right to vote, and were unable to contribute to decisions being made at their expense.

• this allowed for very biased and prejudiced juries which made justice systems unfair for black people.

counter analysis:
- however it could be argued this was not as prevalent in the north as democrats and republicans supported the new black people and their growing political beliefs.

evaluation:
- it is clear prejudice and racism was more important as white registers used their prejudices and manipulated literacy tests at the expense of black people.

Question 4

the kkk and other white supremacist organisations

Answer 4

evidence:
- refounded in 1915 by william simmons and used fear, terror and intimidation to push their white supremacist beliefs.

• they reached over 5 million members in 1925, including sheriffs and judges.

analysis:
- anyone black people who attempted to improve their status were targeted by this group, evident by the 3000 lynchings between 1880 and 1941.

• such a large number of people being apart of it shows just how influential they were and how widespread their beliefs would have been.

counter analysis:
- the kkk’s membership began to decrease in the 1920s, thus there must have been other factors acting as a barrier to civil rights.

evaluation:
- they were undoubtedly influential with widespread support from oklahoma and oregon, however it would not have grown to such a large number if it weren’t for the prejudice and racism practically causing its existence.

Question 5

divisions in the black community

Answer 5

evidence
- the national association for the advancement of coloured people, and spent a lot of money on lawsuits and public inquiries

• the universal negro improvement association had 6 million members by 1923.

analysis:
- created class divisions as the working classes could not afford to keep up with this sort of actions and felt like they were unable to help.

• created class divisions as many people believed marcus garvey was controversial for believing in black separatism as, unlike the working classes, they did not need to worry about affording to live in the US.

counter analysis:
- it could be argued these divisions did not have much of an impact as changes will still made despite them, for example philip randolph of the black trade union movement organised a protest in washington which led to roosevelt making a deal that “there shall be no discrimination in the employment of workers in the defence industries and in Government”

evaluation:
- whilst the difference between discrimination in the north and south created even more divisions, it could be argued these were only prevalent because of already existing racist ideas.