Ending Jim Crow: Racial Segregation in 20th-Century America - Essay Sample

Introduction

Segregation has been a problem in the United States for many years. However, significant steps have been made in over time from the 20th century. In the late nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, a group of laws, referred to Jim Crow laws were passed to legalize racial segregation. The rules mostly targeted the people of the Negroid race, marginalizing and dehumanizing them. Jim Crows regulations stipulated where black citizens could work and how much they could be paid and also controlled their voting rights. Also, the laws controlled the lives of the blacks from their traveling models to how their children studied. The films produced in this era depicted what was going on in society. The plots of these films showed the social distance between black Americans and the whites. The essay will show how the plots of early films showed and encouraged racial segregation against blacks by supporting Jim Crow laws.

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The early films depicted black Americans as inferior who can only follow orders. Some of them showed African Americans as people who loved to be slaves and who would not wish to be set free. The movie, "The Littlest Rebel" by David Butler is one of the films. In the film, Virgie lives with a family slave Billy in a plantation. Billy is shown dancing on her birthday as a happy slave. Her father joins the Confederate army, but he visits his family later. Union soldiers look for Virgie's father on his farm, but he is warned off by slaves and escapes. When there is a battle on the farm, Virgie is forced to flee with her mother and Billy. Her father crosses over to be with his family only for him to be arrested after the death of his wife. Billy is now freed since his owner has been sentenced to death. Instead of leaving to enjoy his newfound freedom, Billy and Virgie visit the Cary in prison daily. When they learn of how they can appeal to the president for the appeal for the release of Virgie's father, Billy is so determined to see his master freed that he sings in public to collect funds to visit the statehouse (Horton et al. 4).

"The Littlest Rebel" shows that the formers slaves were comfortable with the state of their lives did not any change. The film, therefore, served to encourage the slavery of black people. It mentioned that the black people were meant to be slaves while their white counterparts their lords. When Cary is arrested, Billy has the option of leaving, but he chooses to stay and help his master get out. The film seemed to support Jim Crow laws which suggested slavery for black people and controlling the lives of the freed slaves. Also, the film suggested that the black Americans were week people who could not survive on their own and therefore, had to look for white masters. The lives of the whites were also shown as more important than those of the blacks, with Billy willing to do anything to ensure his master was freed (Horton et al. 4). This movie showed the existence of different social status in life and encouraged slavery of black people.

Furthermore, the early, movies showed the social distinction between the white and the blacks, and how it was impossible to create a peaceful society filled with love. In "Imitation of life," the movie revolves around social distinction in the community. Bea and her daughter Jessie, who are white invites Delilah and her daughter Peola to live with them, and they become a family. However, when Bea opens a restaurant, it is Delilah who cooks. Delilah's daughter is of mixed race but wants to pass as a white, only to be humiliated by her mother visiting the school. When Bea gives Delilah 20% for using her recipe in a successful business, she chooses to be a housekeeper instead. Delilah refuses the offer because of the established social difference in society. Later, Peola drops out of a Negro college to work in a whites-only restaurant leading to a confrontation with her mother. After her mother is dead, Bea gives her a lavish funeral (Sastry 1).

The film depicts the social differences between blacks and whites. People hated association with blacks, because blacks were seen as inferior. Peola was always trying to pass as a white person, only that her mother embarrassed her. The film, therefore, showed that being black was a reason to be ashamed. Also, the film supported the Jim Crow laws by encouraging different studying institution. By Delilah refused to receive payment for the use of her recipe, the movie seems to be propagating racial segregation by suggesting that blacks should be housekeepers or do such work. Businesses are for the white elites (Sastry 1). The films, therefore, propose slavery in another way. It was possible to have friendships between whites and blacks, but social segregation would always come between such relationships. The films, therefore, showed the existence of social discrimination and discouraged any relationships such as friendships between different races.

The early films pasted a picture of savage creatures who cannot control their emotions or do something responsibly when it came to black Americans. Arguably the most racist film ever made, "The Birth of a Nation" supported the Ku Klux Klan and showed it as a heroic group. The film follows the lives of two families; Stonemans from the North and the Camerons from the south. When the civil war starts, the two families' sons enlist in the opposing sides. President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated leading to the determination to punish the south through reconstruction led by Austin Stoneman. In restoration, only blacks are allowed to vote; hence most of the elected leaders in the legislature of South Carolina are black. The movie shows the elected leaders drinking alcohol in office, eating showing inappropriate behavior in office. In the film, Gus, who is a freed slave follows Flora Cameron to the woods and expresses his desire to marry her, only for her to refuse and run away. She ends up killing herself, and the Ku Klux Klan hunt Gus and murders him. When Elsie goes to plead for Cameron's release, Lynch, who is of mixed race proposes to her leading to her fainting. Elsie is saved by the KKK and Lynch arrested. Later, the Klansmen prevent black people from voting in the elections (Horton et al. 2).

"The Birth of a Nation" showed black people as people who cannot control their emotions. Flora would rather die than listen to a black man propose to her and Elsie even faints when she learns of Lynch's intentions. The film also despised the black people by showing that they do not want to marry their fellow blacks and prefer to marry the 'superior' whites. Moreover, the film supported Jim Crow laws by discouraging black people from voting (Horton et al. 2). The Ku Klux Klan supported racial segregation in the United States and even participated in the killing of many black people. By showing such a violent group as a savior for the white people, the movie was a thorn in the flesh to every black person at the time. The film also advised people against allowing black people in leadership positions by suggesting they would do nothing but eat and drink. The movie even suggested that during the civil war the enemy was the blacks. Many people demonstrated against the film upon its release.

Conclusion

From these films, it can be seen that some people had the desire to maintain Jim Crow laws against black people. The movie depicted black people as humans who enjoyed being slaves hence suggesting continued slavery. Others showed black people without a desire to improve their lives and comfortable with the social differences that existed. Also, films such as "The Birth of a Nation" showed that black people were weak leaders and should neither be allowed to vote or lead. It also suggested blacks are savages who would force anyone to marry them without considering their feelings. Social segregation was a dangerous practice inflicted to black people. It should not have happened in the first place. What is more alarming is the knowledge that people missed discriminating other people as shown in the film. People should aspire to live together in harmony without considering different races.

Works Cited

Horton, Yurii, Raagen Price, and Eric Brown. "Portrayal of minorities in the film, media and entertainment industries." Ethics of Development in a Global Environment (EDGE) 1 (1999), https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/mediarace/portrayal.htm

Sastry, Keertana. "Shame on Hollywood: These Are The Most Racist Films Of All Time." Business Insider 1 June 2012: 1. Document. <https://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-racist-films-of-all-time-2012-5?IR=T#1-the-birth-of-a-nation-1915-is-the-granddaddy-of-all-racist-movies-21>.