The Beginnings and Origins of Jim Crow South and Segregation

Introduction

• Discussion on the origins of Jim Crow South and the world it created.
• Acknowledges the unpleasant nature of the topic.
• Importance of understanding the legacy of American racism in the South.

The Story of Sam Hose (Samuel Wilkes, 1899)

• Background: Sam Hose was a sharecropper in Georgia who had a confrontation with his landlord over visiting his sick mother.
• Incident: The landlord threatened Sam Hose with a gun; in defense, Sam threw an axe, killing the landlord.
• Aftermath: Hose was arrested; rumors circulated about him assaulting the landlord's wife and child.
• Lynching: A mob broke into the jail, tortured, and lynched Sam Hose publicly, witnessed by 2,500-3,000 people.
• W.E.B. Du Bois's Involvement: Du Bois attempted to investigate but retreated upon realizing the danger.

Lessons from the Lynching of Sam Hose

1. Stereotypes: African American men portrayed as sexually violent.
2. Extrajudicial Lynching: Often ignored by southern officials.
3. Public Brutality: Lynching designed to instill fear and demonstrate power.

Emergence of Segregation

• Post-Reconstruction: Failure of Reconstruction and economic decline led to segregation.
• Economic Factors: Decline in southern economies and reduced state funding.
• Cultural Factors: Class and race anxieties.

Legal Foundations of Segregation

• Civil Rights Act Overturned (1883): Allowed private establishments to refuse service based on race.
• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): Established 'separate but equal' doctrine, legalizing state and government institutional segregation.

Cultural Deference and Racial Divide

• Concept of Deference: Social deference required from African Americans to whites.
• Social Interactions: Example of expected behavior in public interactions between races.
• Cultural Reinforcement: Southern hospitality and social norms enforced racial hierarchy.

Enforcement of Segregation

• KKK's Role: Terrorized successful black individuals to maintain social hierarchy.
• Voting Laws: Disenfranchisement through various discriminatory voting laws.
• Extrajudicial Violence: Supported by cultural norms.

Impact of Segregation on African American Communities

• Lynchings: Over 5,000 lynchings from 1880-1914 with public displays and press coverage.
• Differences from Slavery: Despite oppression, black communities retained some autonomy.
• Cultural and Social Strength: Growth of the black professional class, historic black colleges, and black churches.

Conclusion

• Interconnection of Histories: Black history is intertwined with American history.
• Ongoing Struggles and Developments: Despite systemic oppression, African American communities continued to develop and strengthen.