Jim Crow Segregation

Definition

Jim Crow Segregation refers to state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in Southern United States. Enacted after the Reconstruction period, these laws continued in force until 1965.

Analogy

Imagine if you were playing a game where the rules were intentionally designed to make it harder for one team to win. That's what life was like under Jim Crow laws - they created an uneven playing field where African Americans faced significant disadvantages.

Related terms

Plessy v. Ferguson: A landmark 1896 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.

Brown v. Board of Education: The 1954 Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Civil Rights Act of 1964: A landmark civil rights law that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.