Constraints of Blacks Discussion the Geographic Spaces

Constraints of Blacks

Discussion the geographic spaces and constraints of Blacks in the United States between 1865 and 2010.

Reconstruction Period

Throughout the reconstruction period several acts were passed that were intended to integrate African-Americans or freedmen as they were referred to in the period in society. Despite the initial goals of the legislative acts, African-Americans faced a significant antagonism from many whites in the south who did not agree to the new freedoms for the former slaves. The first and arguably most significant step move towards a more equal and free society was the 13th amendment to the Constitution.

This amendment was passed in 1865 and was shortly after was followed by the passage of the civil rights act in 1866 and the 14th amendment. The underlying purpose of 13th and 14th amendments as well as the civil rights act of 1866 was to officially designate African-Americans citizens by abolishing slavery and granting new freedoms for the former slaves. Furthermore, due to the content of the 14th amendment, states were prohibited from curtailing the 'privileges and immunities of citizens, depriving any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.

Jim Crow Laws

In response to the new freedoms granted to slaves, there was a level of retaliation and a growing support for the Democrats who came to power after the reconstruction period. The Democrats who were elected during this period began a growing trend of Jim Crow laws in 1877 which were crafted to segregate the blacks so that they would have limited interaction with whites. They were restricted to certain establishments and areas that they could visit at any one time. However, this segregation also was subject to action by black individuals in the spring of 1879. A wave of thousands of African-Americans protested against segregation by migrating to Kansas.

Those who were included in the wave of migration referred to themselves as Exodusters. They believed the West would offer them more opportunities and a better life. This movement was also furthered by rumors that were spread stating that the Federal government had provisioned all of the state of Kansas just for former slaves. Although the rumor was false, it sparked another wave of migrations that brought more than fifteen thousand African-Americans into Kansas within the next year. The exoduses movements were noteworthy because there were many all black towns established in the south as well as a record number being elected into local government.

Education

Education was correctly viewed as a path to a better life by many former slaves who wanted to educate themselves. They believe that this would help them to earn respect and better their quest for equality. Booker T. Washington serves as a prime example of a remarkably educated former slave. Washington was born a slave in 1856 and he was not provided the chance to go to school until he reached the age of sixteen. The first school he attended was in Virginia and was called the Hampton Institute. Washington used his opportunity at the Hampton Institute to escape the hardships found in manual labor and he eventually became a teacher.

In 1881 Washington founded the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. Washington served as the school's principal until his death at the age 59. Under Washington's guidance, Tuskegee rose to national prominence under the leadership of its founder. During his term as Principle, the school was awarded institutional independence in 1892 through legislative act. This allowed the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute to act independently of the state of Alabama in regards to the curriculum and the daily operations.

Early Twentieth Century

In 1909 there was another interesting development. In response to the practice of lynching in many mostly southern states the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP's chief objective is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens of United States and eliminate race prejudice. The NAACP works to attempt to remove all of the barriers of racial discrimination that surface through the democratic processes. The organization

This organization was founded by many famous African-Americans such as Du Bois and Ida B. Wells. The organization received some of their first successes through litigation when the Supreme Court ruled against the grandfather clause in 1915 and declared it as unconstitutional. The clause stated that a man could vote if he could prove that one of his ancestors had actually voted before the reconstruction was enacted. This legislation effectively excluded any blacks from being able to vote because before the reconstruction whites were the only citizens who could vote and slaves had virtually no rights; especially not voting rights.

After their first major victory the NAACP's membership quickly grew. In 1941 the NAACP, the trade unions, and the national Negro congress co-sponsored a national committee which worked to abolish the poll tax. The alleviation of the poll tax worked to overcome one of the major obstacles in the way of black voting rights. As the NACCP continued to grow it also took on more of an activist role in society. Furthermore, in began localizing operations into local branches started to protest against such issues like the segregated lunch counters and theatres. The NAACP furthered black voting measures as well as desegregation of public education. After years of aggressive focus on the segregation in public schools, the NAACP won one of its greatest legal battles ever in Brown vs. The Board of Education. The Supreme Court announced on the 17 May 1954 public school segregation, unconstitutional.

Late Twentieth Century through the Present