This CultureQuest was created to give its readers an overview of life during The Jim Crow Era. This was a time period in which the African-American society suffered greatly due to segregation.   Jim Crow was the name of the system of laws and customs that enforced racial segregation and discrimination throughout the United States, especially the South, from the late 19th century through the 1960's.
 

It is thought that the name Jim Crow was taken from a character in minstrel shows, in which white performers in blackface used African-American stereotypes in their songs and dances.
 

African-Americans living in the South during the first half of the 20th century saw graphic reminders of their second-class citizenship in signs reading "Whites Only" or "Colored" hung over drinking fountains and the doors to restrooms, restaurants, movie theaters and other public places.  Along with segregation, blacks faced discrimination in jobs and housing and were often denied their constitutional right to vote.

This CultureQuest will take you through this time period and help give you a better understanding of what it was like to live during this time as an African-American.  It will also describe the difficult struggles that African-Americans endured to get to where they are today.
 
 
 

Family Life	Employment	Education
Court Cases	Jim Crow Laws	Klu Klux Klan
Sports & Music	Important Men	Important Women