African American Oppression

     African Americans have been known for being mistreated during their lifetime. Since 1619 African were forced out of their homes to work as slaves in America. As slaves they were believed by the whites to be inferior, unintellegent beings. After slavery African Americans were still being discriminated and mistreated. It took people like Martin Luther KIng Jr. and groups like the NAACP to help the African Americans during this time of struggle.

Mistreament of African American slaves

     When the African Americans slaves were freed they were given a set of laws called the Black Codes. The Balck Codes set in 1865 were rules and regulations that restricted the freedom of the African Americans in the south. Some of these laws were: banning freed slaves from leaving a job, denying the former slaves to vote, testifying in a court against a white person. Because of these laws the white people still had control over the freed African American. In 1866 the African Americans were granted their rights and were able to finally call themselves American citizens. With this citiztenship the African Americans were soon running in politics. There were also more African American attending schools and colleges. The white southerns were not pleased with the African Americans being able to vote. A group called the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) arose. The KKK is a group that strives for white supremacy. One of the goals of the KKK was to scare African American voters. Mainly by night, the KKK would terroized African Americans. They would break into homes and even burn them down. Alot of the times the KKK would take innocent African Americans and lynch them. Lynching is to put to death especailly by hanging. The KKK was later forced to stop thier activities by the enforcement laws passed by President Grant in 1871. Later in 1896 the Supreme Court declared segregation as consitutional. Stating the separate but equal doctine. It meant that the whites and blacks would be separate but would have equal facilties. Theoretically the facilites were to provide equalitiy but in reality the white facilities were better equippe. The Jim Crow laws as they were nicknamed allowed the segregation of public facilities like schools, resturants, pools, buses, train etc.

KKK confronts black community

     The African American group have been both mistreated and discriminated aganist. Thou laws were passed to protect their rights they have always gotten the shorter end of the stick. African American still today seem like they have to prove themselves to society.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_org_kkk.html
http://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/connected/login.do
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/293514/rising_out_of_oppression_the_identity.html?cat=9