How Did Jim Crow Laws Affect The Civil Rights Movement

During this time in age reconstruction and the western expansion was going on.to act. The fact that blacks had limited access to do anything later down the road “only a few blacks even served in Congress in the 1880s and 1890s” (pg.523). This was the beginning of the Jim Crow Laws. They also had a Poll Tax Liberty Test basically this test was rigged, which made it unfair to blacks. Therefore “at the end of the reconstruction in 1900 African- Americans owned only a small percent of land” (pg. 522). By 1940 only about three percent of blacks had voted. Which really isn’t that much of a vote. There were black’s experiences, black’s life in the South, “and in most disadvantaged rural southerners, black famers suffered the most from the region’s conditions (pg. 522)”. Not much has changed because blacks are still struggling to get respect, voting rights, and becoming their own. Then it led to African-Americans going to Kanas, to seek political, equality, freedom from all the violence, and to also seek a higher education. It was important for African-Americans to seek a higher education, so they can be educated and to get the respect they have always wanted.
Secondly, Washington encouraged his fellow blacks to better their lives and to not turn to violence.
This is when the civil rights movement happen and that’s when Washington and Du Bois came into play. Washington was the spokesperson for the whole black community. Washington’s focus was a better education for blacks and progressing in social, economic and equality. Washington was more of a realist he believed that if you work hard you could achieve anything. With Washington being born into slavery he knew and had an idea of what could be done and what couldn’t be done. He saw what the future could be like instead of just thinking he woke up that morning and change has
happened.
Now you have Du Bois who was born after slavery and didn’t really have an idea of what it was like. Du Bois was more like an idealist he thought change could happen right then and now. The argument between the two Du Bois said that Washington was encouraging segregation and basically limiting the ambitions of his colored people. Du Bois did give Washington credit for his work but it didn’t agree with every aspect of his work. Washington believed that Du Bois overlooked the issues and didn’t get deep into. However, Du Bois didn’t agree with Washington telling blacks to accept the fact of discrimination. Their argument was about strategies for blacks social and economic progress.
Thirdly, considering they are both black advocate supports for the black community it was hard for them to agree on who was right and who was wrong. They both had their differences on how they should do things. Washington finally realized that the leadership was passing on to bigger and better things and that was Du Bois. Blacks were stripped from their civil rights and was once again brought back down to second class. But that doesn’t stop Du Bois from focusing on Washington rise to success during this time. In Du Bois document he believes that how Washington speaks to Negros isn’t helpful towards the African-Americans society. He also believes that Washington was trying to bring black and whites together in a way that couldn’t possibly happen. He also said that “Washington asked blacks people to give up for the present, three things, First, political power, Second, insistence on civil rights, Third higher education of Negros youth…(pg.541)”. Du Bois then question how it could be possible for man to deprive of political rights etc.?
Washington’s document was basically talking about how black should remain in the South, turn away from any political rights. In his document there is a quote that says, “Cast down your bucket where you are” (pg. 540). To make friends in every manly way of all different races. He wanted the blacks and the whites to come together. He called all agitation for social equality, also assuring his white audience as well. He believed that blacks and whites could win and live together but at the same time be apart. His speech pleased many whites which that gave him financial support for his school.
In conclusion, Washington’s main routes to advancement is social, political, and economic situations for African-Americans. He also believed that if blacks gained education, economic foothold, and could prove themselves that they can be useful to whites then they could have their civil rights back. Blacks worked in “mines, iron furnaces, and tobacco factories employed black laborers, and a good number of black farmers managed to acquire land” (pg. 522). This could prove to the whites that not all blacks are thieves. Du Bois thinks that Washington is misleading the black community. Du Bois knows that Washington isn’t teaching blacks what they need to know to overcome what has happened to them. Washington’s ideal was more of a realist than Du Bois because he is the more idealist and his aspect on genuine freedom is easy and you should stand up for what you believe in. Then you have Washington that wants blacks to sit calm and wait until it’s their time to shine. Washington also wanted blacks to prove themselves to the whites, so they can be uppity up blacks.