The Jim Crow persona comes from a theatre character developed and popularised in the early 1800’s, and portrays a racist depiction of African Americans and their culture. It was later used in cartoons and illustrations to denote people of colour, and has always been used as a way of making fun of them, by pointing out what white Americans considered to be their flaws, ridiculing the way they speak, and many other aspects of their culture.
The term lent its name to a generalised negative and stereotypical view of black people, and then was used to indicate the slave laws (Jim Crow Law) applied in the southern states. These laws served to impose the segregation of blacks by depriving them of numerous civil liberties, and the period in which they were enforced became known as the Jim Crow era.
The word "slaves" has always been associated with black people. They were the slaves, and the white man the slave owner. The whites had managed to relegate even the native Indians into increasingly restricted areas by taking possession of land that did not rightfully belong to them. To do this, and keep their conscience clean, the whites built a perfect narrative that endorsed their superiority over others, including blacks, who were commonly considered as savages.
In fact, calling minorities "savages" helped whites not to feel guilty for the abuses they perpetrated against them.
Over time, many laws were enacted in favour of blacks: the Thirteenth Amendment established the abolition of slavery, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 guaranteed them American citizenship, the Fourteenth Amendment prevented any state from denying them citizenship, while the Fifteenth Amendment promised them the right to vote or rather, it stated that they would not be denied that right for reasons related exclusively to the colour of their skin. The new Civil Rights Act of 1964 sanctioned the end of discrimination on the assignment of houses, work, on voting, and on school, which brought a glimmer of hope for great changes to come. Black children, for example, could finally enter shops, eat in restaurants, or drink from public fountains on the street.
Despite the struggles for freedom, and the promises that have been made over the years, it seems that black people are still relegated to a life in limbo (even decades on). They struggle to keep up with whites simply because, for them, the path ahead is full of dangers and obstacles. Although, on paper, laws have been made that would seem to be equal for all races, the reality is that the American justice system always leans in favour of whites, making it seem like a new Jim Crow.
It must also be said that penalties in America can be very harsh, and are often disproportionate to the crime committed, as if the American system lacked vision and compassion.
That is why, in essence, there is no longer any difference with the old system. Black people were marginalised before because of their race, and they are marginalised today because they are assumed to be guilty of crimes that they don’t always commit. In the new Jim Crow era , blacks have no rights for protection due to a veiled racial discrimination under which they are subjected to restrictions, checks and fines.
Some studies have shown that during their lifetime, most blacks come into contact with the American judicial system, and many end up completely entangled in it. The sentences are so severe that there is no way for the person to redeem themselves, and the worst thing is that once the sentence has been served, convicted people are completely excluded from social life.
This is why the author believes that the Jim Crow era is still flourishing. The only difference now is that slavery is no longer legal or socially accepted; nowadays it has simply become masked under other guises. The difference is subtle but substantial, and aims to create a second-class category of people, a real sub-caste.
