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Essay / Black Americans after the Civil War
America has a history of slavery and racism towards African Americans. African Americans have been a part of America since its beginnings as a nation. Segregation emerged after the abolition of slavery in America. Public services were separate for blacks and whites. Schools were no exception, schools were segregated based on race. Schools for whites and blacks were different, different treatment was given to black and white students. School quality in general was different for each race. The Fourteenth Amendment was ratified to provide equal protection and equal treatment to all citizens of the United States. Jure's segregation in schools violated the Fourteenth Amendment. De facto segregation still persists in America today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Africans were brought to America by Europeans to work in the fields. They carried out agricultural work. Africans were enslaved for many decades. “Slavery in America began in 1619, when a Dutch ship landed 20 African slaves in the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia” (History.com). Children born in America of African descent were also enslaved. Slaves had no rights, they were considered property by their owners. Slaves were treated very badly. The use of slaves helped the United States economy by creating a higher production of goods. “African slaves helped make the new nation an economic powerhouse through the production of lucrative crops such as tobacco and cotton” (History.com). Even though slaves helped the new nation grow economically, they were still considered an inferior race. Slaves represented an economic boost for the United States. They worked hard to increase their owners' profits and received no wages in return. The American Civil War was fought to end slavery in the South, which was successful. The North won and slavery was abolished, the slaves were freed. After the Civil War, the 14th century was ratified to grant citizenship to all former slaves. It guaranteed equal protection to all citizens of the United States, including former slaves. “Former slaves received citizenship rights and equal protection of the Constitution in the 14th Amendment” (History.com). Segregation came after the Civil War in America. African Americans wanted to be part of a society that would treat them with respect and value them as human beings. The result was different than what they hoped for: African Americans were separated from public services. They were not allowed to share anything with white society. They were still treated as an inferior race and not as equal citizens. Some white people tried different methods to keep people of color from entering their society. After the Civil War, millions of formerly enslaved African Americans hoped to rejoin society at large as full and equal citizens. Although some white Americans welcomed them, others used people's ignorance, racism, and self-interest to maintain and propagate racial divisions. By 1900, new laws and old customs in the North and South had created a segregated society that condemned Americans of color to second-class citizenship (Smithsonian National Museumof American History Behring Center). It was difficult for African Americans to be a part of society. an egalitarian society while they were denied access to public services. There were laws that enforced segregation. Whites believed themselves superior to blacks, they believed that they were a better race, which led them to not want to share their daily lives with African-Americans. School segregation took place during the period of segregation in America. Schools were segregated for white and black students. The schools were different for the two groups of students. White students had better facilities, while schools for African Americans were underfunded. Laws were passed to separate schools for African Americans and white students, they were supposed to be separate but equal. “The Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 that separate but equal was constitutional as long as it was equal” (Tucker, Marc). According to the Supreme Court, there was no problem with separating schools as long as equal treatment was given to each race. Many whites did not want blacks to be educated, fearing they would challenge white supremacy and would not settle for jobs in the fields or fields. in domestic service. Black schools therefore received significantly less financial support than white schools. Black schools had fewer books, buildings in disrepair, and teachers who were paid less. Dilapidated and segregated schools marked black Virginians with a stigma of inferiority and second-class citizenship status that they would have to endure throughout their lives (Virginia Museum of History & Culture). The Supreme Court's "separate but equal" decision was not implemented in schools for African Americans. African American students were not treated equally with white students. Whites wanted to keep African Americans uneducated for fear that they would become competitive. If African Americans became competitive, whites risked losing their power. African-American schools were controlled by whites since they were the ones who governed. Since they controlled school funding, they invested less in black schools than in white schools. African Americans had fewer tools to work with to receive a good education. These forms of treatment impacted their lives, making them feel less valued than white people. Children suffered psychological damage from this treatment at school. This made them believe that they were not as good as white children. It was hard to have more black children who saw themselves as inferior. Their dreams were ruined, their goals nonexistent if they were part of a society they weren't good enough to compete in, all because of the color of their skin. School segregation violated the Fourteenth Amendment. Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment states: All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws (law.cornell.edu). According to the Fourteenth Amendment, all citizens of the United States are equal. Laws should protect all citizens equally. The sametreatment should be given to everyone. No government may infringe on the civil rights of others without a fair trial. School segregation did not follow the Fourteenth Amendment because all citizens are equal regardless of race and should have the same rights. Every citizen must be offered the same quality of life. Segregation separated students based on their race. African American students received worse schools than whites. School quality in general was poor for black students compared to white students. School segregation clearly violated the Fourteenth Amendment, it did not follow through on its statements. Brown v. Board of Education ruled that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. This court case concluded that a “separate but equal” education was not equal at all. In the decision issued on May 17, 1954, the court ruled that school segregation actually violated the 14th Amendment and that school segregation did not constitute equal treatment (History.com). School segregation constituted unequal treatment that led to unequal protection under Fourteenth Amendment laws. The purpose of the Fourteenth Amendment was to establish equality for all, not just to treat one race better. If it was not possible to enforce equality for all students if they were separated based on their skin color. The United States Constitution cannot be constitutional if civil rights are not applied to all as they are intended to be, even if de jure segregation in schools is not in effect in today's America 'today. There is currently de facto segregation in American schools. Hispanic, African American and white children are divided along economic standards. Schools serving predominantly white children have better quality than schools attended by minorities. Jure segregation is no longer active, but white children still do better in school. Hispanics and African Americans are not forced by law to attend low-quality schools, but some of them have no choice. Past racism imposed by white people still has its effects today. When racism was legal in the United States, white people received higher loans/credit to buy better things. They were able to buy good properties and go to school, receive a good education. Meanwhile, minorities have received far less help purchasing property. They were somehow forced to live in bad places. Minorities did not have enough resources to receive higher education. As whites had better neighborhoods, businesses expanded in these towns. Their economy improved, more money came in. Minority towns were poor, businesses were not attracted, money was not coming in, their economy was bad (Classroom Videos). Today's schools are segregated based on economic status. These lower loans given to minorities back then still affect them today. These low-income towns are still as they were compared to white towns. Minorities today face barriers to getting a good education or a better-paying job. It is easier for white people to go to college because they are in a better economic situation and wealth has been passed down over the years. In today's America, white people get higher loans and more help to buy property. Minorities still receive less help than whites (Classroom Videos)...