The Psychology of Racism in Jim Crow America

The Psychology of Racism in Jim Crow America

2021, History  -   6 Comments
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From the late 1600s to the mid-1860s, slavery was legal and an inherent part of American society. The largest concentration of enslaved people worked the cotton plantations for Southern landowners. Every slave was treated like property, disrespected, and abused. They had no access to healthcare, education and no civil rights. However, they were also extremely indispensable; the masters depended on them for survival. Slaves were necessary to work the farms, or else the economy of the American South would have collapsed. The white man's economic dependence on the slaves, on top of feeling morally superior, might have caused their violent treatment.

In 1865, the Civil War ended, and slavery was abolished. America's Reconstruction period, or the decade that followed the war, saw many free blacks and formerly enslaved people enjoying the protection of their civil rights thanks to several federal laws. But this idyllic time ended abruptly when towards the mid-1870s, the decline of the Southern economy pressed politicians to use terrorist-inspired, violent intimidation methods to keep the black population in line. These methods included regular beatings, harassment and the enactment of various "Jim Crow" or segregation laws in most Southern states. These laws erased any economic and political gains that African Americans enjoyed during Reconstruction. The name "Jim Crow" was also highly derogatory, dating back to an 1820s theater caricature of slaves.

Almost a century of systemic racism followed, with legally free black Americans oppressed on purpose. From the 1880s to the mid-1960s, segregation characterized the American South, with whites-only schools, hospitals, facilities and services, job discrimination at every level and even in housing or city zoning regulations.

From the 1880s to the 1930s, lynchings were common, taking the lives of over 6,000 African Americans, primarily men falsely accused of murder, rape and abuse of white women and even for having different beliefs. Lynchings were public spectacles, with crowds gathering to watch from all over the state. Women and children often participated, and victims were beaten, strung up and hung off trees. The 1899 murder of black American Sam Hose was particularly violent, with people dousing him in oil, cutting off his facial features, fingers and genitals.

Trying to make sense of why many ordinary men, women and children participated in lynchings is difficult and, for many, understandably impossible. Southerners acted on generations of psychological and sociological beliefs and brainwashing, claiming lynching protected them from "black aggression" and defended the "natural god-given racial order of the world." They believed that "the entire race was destitute of character" and that it was necessary to "terrorize and restrain the lawless element in the Negro population."

These beliefs were magnified when they lost the Civil War, creating a false sense of victimhood, defeat, and fear, leading to an extremely flawed and wrong sense of "justified" violence.

The unfortunate and horrible legacy of Jim Crow and lynching sadly carries on, with many black Americans feeling oppressed and disenfranchised, as the challenges of racism still live on in the United States today.

Directed by: Lewis Waller

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Steve
Steve
2 months ago

The GOD of LOVE created all humanity to LOVE each other. Those whom are consumed by hatred unknowlingly worship SATAN and are "marked" (no mortal man of the flesh can hide the mark of the beast). On the last day (which approaches quickly) ALL HUMANKIND WILL BELIEVE, the mark of the beast will be revealed - either on the forehead or on the hand). And all who hate (both living , and the dead from the near and distant past throughout all of human history) will be condemned to eternal torment in the pit of hell FOREVER .

Linda Best
Linda Best
1 year ago

I am "white". Born in 1951 in N.C., schools were segregated, as were hospitals. Only whites were allowed to sit in a restaurant. (I am going to refer to "black" females and males", as my brothers and sisters. To me, they are.) Other brothers and sisters ordered food at the counter, and had to leave. There were separate movie theaters, separate water fountains, etc. I asked, why can't "colored's" go to our church? (When asking questions as a child, I had to use the word "colored people"; for that's how they were commonly referred to). I was told that it was because of Noah's curse of his son, Ham. When I asked my mother why "colored people couldn't drink from our water fountains or go to our schools, I was told: they are separated so we don't marry them. When I was born, my mother's neighbor lived next door. My brother, who was 4 years older, played with their children, spent the night with them, and could be seen, happily walking with the father and the children, 2 miles to his friend's home. I have no such happy memories. (My dad was abusive). My only memory was there 2 story home, where hay was stored. Only recently have I been able to figure out why they left. By the time I was born, the entire 3 mile road, had become occupied by "whites". I never even met them; nor know where they moved to. My mother told me that when I was born, the mother killed a chicken and baked it for her. She always remembered their kindness. (no more space)

Alistair
Alistair
1 year ago

Well presented and helpful in understanding the continuation of racism in the US since the abolition of slavery.

Ryan
Ryan
1 year ago

The why is easy. We don’t have to look that far back to see the root cause of a majority of hardships, struggles and hatred American citizens experience. Hint : Our hard-earned money is stolen by them at least once a year.

Andrew Blackadder
Andrew Blackadder
1 year ago

This wee self righteous limey prick tells us all about the bad history of America and yet sits there in his smugness while failing to mention the bad history of his own country.
Not worth watching unless you are indeed a racist, like he is.

Andrew Blackadder
Andrew Blackadder
1 year ago

Whoever made this film, Im assuming the ''person'' is Caucasian, is THE most racist people around as anybody,white, that tells me that are not racist I believe they are in fact racists otherwise why would they feel the need to tell me that as such people rally do think that the average Negro in America is way to stupid to educated himself.
Such people live in the past without mentioning the FACT that Africans kidnapped other Africans, in Africa and sold them to the European slave traders who in turned had learned the slave trade from the Arab/muslims who still today engage in slavery in vaious islamic Nations.