Jim Crow laws

In the southern states, Jim Crow laws enforced segregation in schools, transport and public places. The claim of ‘separate but equal’ concealed the poor quality of many facilities provided for African Americans. Poll taxes and literacy tests also obstructed their ability to vote, reducing their power to challenge discrimination.

In the South, segregation was enforced through laws commonly called Jim Crow laws. Black and White children attended separate schools. Public facilities such as restaurants, cinemas, hotels, toilets and waiting rooms were also segregated.

In the southern states, Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation. Black and white Americans used separate schools, hospitals, toilets and seating on public transport. This made racial inequality part of ordinary daily life rather than simply a matter of individual hostility.

In the South, Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation in facilities such as schools, public transport, restaurants and theatres. In 1883, the Supreme Court declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional, removing an important federal protection against discrimination in public places.