Jim Crow was in effect for about 80 years and affected everyone throughout the States, especially in the South.
Here are a couple of examples pertaining to “State Law”.
– North Carolina: school textbooks not to be interchangeable between white and black schools.
– Mississippi: the marriage of a white person with a colored, Negro person shall be “null and void” and the marriage will not be considered legitimate by
law.
The term Jim Crow was first used back in the 19 century pertaining to menstrual shows where white performers performed with black painted faces.
Jim Crow ruled the South well into the 1950s and 1960s.
A lot of rules pertaining to Jim Crow were “unwritten laws”, and could be interpreted any which way they wanted in the court of law, if that’s where it ended up. Many times it was interpreted and dealt with at the community level.
Such unwritten laws as the following were very common:
– blacks living in a white home, had to use the back door.
– If a white employer was driving his black maid home, she had to sit in the backseat.
– Blacks were never supposed to contradict white people.
– Under no circumstance, was a black man allowed to show interest in a white woman.
– White men routinely had Black women as mistresses, typically the small houses
outside of their big house is where he would “keep” his mistress.
Police and mob violence was used to shutdown black voter participation, and registration, throughout the South in the early 20th century.
Many times lynchings would become a “community affair” an “event” for people from the community to come out, and set up a picnic to watch a public lynching.
An excellent short overview of the era of Jim Crow. I learned a lot just in these short excerpts about Jim Crow from listening not only to the facts, but also to the live interviews inserted in the book with both white and black people.
There are many variables that play into the ongoing struggle of blacks in America even today. Not to mention, poverty, not a lot of emphasis on education, broken dysfunctional families, etc., but the legacy of Jim Crow continues to linger on probably more so than anything. It’s created a mindset/brainwash conditioning of one people versus another that continues on to this day.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
