A Picture of Life in the South in the Jim Crow Era

In this context, the area of focus is on the status of an African American during the Jim Crow era, the nature of the treatment of African Americans in seeking employment, riding in a bus, and visiting a local park. Additionally, a note on how cultural protests changed the status quo closes the discussion. STATUS OF AN AFRICAN AMERICAN DURING THE JIM CROW ERA An African American was a second-rate citizen in the political arena, before and shortly after the great depression. As Collier and Manchester (131) noted, reconstruction was a period when the American economy was making a slow comeback to its original state, following a recess in 1929. At the time, many states established strict measures for vying for political offices and voting.

However, towards the end of World War II, opportunities in the North increased following the withdrawal of the discriminatory policies in some states (Wright 60). Massive migration to the North began in search of new opportunities for better employment. It was difficult for an African American to find work in any of the city departmental stores in the South. While riding a bus, an African American could only seat once all Whites were seated. It was an act of civil disobedience for an African American to seat while a White counterpart is standing. It was a signal of the changes and widespread protests that would follow shortly after. Nine months later, Rosa Parks did the same act in a bus in Birmingham.