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English II
November 13, 2015
"The Ethics of Living Jim Crow Laws"
For centuries, there have been incidents of prejudice and unfairness towards
African Americans and their human civil rights; Privileges that have been violated by
some laws, like the obsolete Jim Crow Laws, or laws that are enforced improperly by
those who are in law enforcement. Racism is still prevalent in the United States based on
skin color and racial bias. Laws in the past, such as the outdated Jim Crow Laws,
discriminated against African Americans, just as the Stop and Frisk law enforced in many
states today discriminates against blacks and leads to instances of police brutality.
The U.S. Constitution states that "all men are created equal," but that was not the
case in the Jim Crow period of the year 1877 and mid-1960s. The majority of black
people in that time got mistreated and chased. There was separation of blacks from
whites. In the ethics of Jim Crow, Richard Wright mentions, “We moved from Arkansas
to Mississippi. Here we had the good fortune not to live close to white neighborhoods.
There were black churches and black preachers; there were black schools and black
teachers; black groceries and black clerks.” (Richard Wright 161). This shows that the
Jim Crow laws were made to keep blacks far from white people. The whites required
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black folks to segregate themselves from white public areas and other places that black
people weren’t allowed. There were public areas that black people were not permitted to
share with whites therefore separated both races in transportation, schools, restaurants
and restrooms. There were also differences in voting like for black people it was prohibit
while whites were allowed. Laws were very strict with Negros, which gave them no equal
rights.
The Stop and Frisk law can be defined as a strict rule that by any circumstances a
police officer has the absolute authority to search any person that may be or seems under
suspicion. This strict law has led to a controversy of why police officers respond different
depending on the person’s ethnicity. “Black people tend to offend more because they tend
to be more disadvantaged, living in poorer urban areas with less access to public services,
and so on,”(National Crime). It has been huge problem in society as a law since many
police officers have target more than any other race; African Americans. This has led to a
belief that, since “there are more crimes committed by African American ethnicity law
enforcement are under further suspicion of those who are African Americans than those
who are Caucasians”. (National Crime Victimization Survey)
For example in an article named (New York Civil Liberties) about the Stop and
Frisk law there is a statement that mentions that in order for an officer to stop an
individual and search them, the police officer will need a logical explanation for
detaining them and conducting an investigation. Therefore a person has to commit a
crime or an illegal action in all rights for an investigation to take place. This is also part
of the Fourth Amendment rights in the Constitution. The majority of police officers have
failed to follow the rules of the Stop and Frisk law, which have produced controversy in
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most African Americans since they are at the highest percentage rate of most detained
and searched individuals than any other race. Cops cannot search for evidence of the
crime unless they have a valid search warrant therefore they can’t look in purses, wallets,
or other things that are suspected unless is a weapon then it will be concealed,” (New
York Civil Liberties). This idea proves that cops can’t just stop somebody for suspicion
but they have to have a valid explanation to detaining and conducting a search.
In the essay of “The Ethics of Living” the main character Richard Wright had a
difficult time in his life when dealing with racism compared to those black people in
society like in the Jim Crow period when there was racial discrimination among different
groups. Richard Wright experiences can relate in a way on how police officers persecute
African Americans when they are under suspicion. Police officers are often more
doubtful of an African American compared to other race. Which creates a debate on why;
police officers often arrest Negros more than other ethnicities. (Racial Justice)
The U.S. Bill of Rights in the Fourth Amendment states “The right of the people
to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches
and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and
the persons or things to be seized,” (U.S. Bill rights). This shows that is a violation of the
Fourth Amendment when an officer does not have a reasonable suspicion or probable
cause to detain someone unless they have been either seen committing a crime or
suspected of misconduct. Therefore, it gives black people the right to walk away from
law enforcement officials at any period during questioning if they haven’t committed any
crime. Police officers are not allowed to persecute and stop random black people for
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questioning based on their skin color or ethnicity. In a study conducted on law
enforcement officers it was found that there are more restrains and frisks on Negros
compared to those who are Caucasians. Around 82% of the searches made were African
Americans compared which Caucasians were only 10% investigated. (New York Civil
Liberties Union)
This issue of the Stop and Frisk Law has a correlation on the story “The Ethics of
Living by Jim Crow”. “Richard Wright is in a white neighborhood after dark, and
therefore is stopped then jammed into the curb by a policeman but as they search Richard
and find nothing incriminating they discharge him and officer warns not to repeat his
behavior over of going into a white town.” The similarities between the police searching
Richard and the Stop and Frisk Law is that Police officers also persecute and search
Negros for no apparent reason but more as an excuse of suspicion and racial bias.
(Richard Wright 166).
In a NY liberty statistics report it is mentioned that in the year of 2011 law
enforcement officers stopped individuals in NY for suspicion. This issue has an increase
of about 500 percent growth from the year 2000. Most of those people that were detained
by police that year were blameless of any criminal action. The people stopped were also
African Americans, which proves police officers are at higher suspicion of Negros then
white people. (Racial Justice)
There is a high rate in police brutally which is that officers are using excessive
force against blacks and ending up killing them instead of investigating the situation first.
There was a police brutality that was listed as one of the worst cases in a real life on
police violence. The victim was a man named Abner Louima. He is an African American
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who was a target by a Caucasian police officer and was sexually and physical hurt. The
officer mention that by mistake he thought Louima had punched him in the head. The
police persecuted and grabbed Louima then took him to a bathroom which there the
officer shoved a broomstick in the victim and put it on his face then committed another
malicious action. The officer that committed this brutality and racial discrimination
admitted in court that all he wanted to do is cause an embarrassment to Louima. The
police made an excuse that after someone supposedly punched him in the head then he
thought Louima was the one who did it and ended up persecuting him. (Abner Louima
Case)
Racial discrimination has been looked as how different races can mistreat others
as because of color, and social status. This has affected African Americans the most over
the years. The question is why, is that racial discrimination hasn’t improved at all over
time not even from past mistakes. This racial behavior is judgmental and has broken the
laws as it been in The Stop and frisk law and police brutality actions.
This example of Jim Crow story as when Richard's white boss and the son of the
boss took advantage and hit a black female for not paying the rent owned.”(Richard
Wright 164). This shows a similar event, as when the officer shoved a stick on Abner
Louimas face, which shows racial discrimination that some whites have on black people.
This is similar to how Richard Wright was also constantly picked on because of his skin
color, therefore was mistreated because of segregation of whites and blacks. White
people violated many of black people’s civil rights when Richard had another job in a
porter at clothing store.
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Racism is an action that is described as a negative response towards certain
humans, which is based on skin tone and other contributing factor that judges and
characterizes the individual. The Stop and Frisk Law affects African Americans then
most races as shown in the case of Abner Louima just as other similar incidents that have
happen as seen on the daily news.
The Jim Crow laws have been a great example of the differences among whites
and blacks, which separated them; in public places. Just as the Stop and Frisk Law also
caused controversy on the rate among blacks that get stopped therefore has led to police
brutality. The seclusion has existed from back then till today between both races. The
solution to the problems between blacks and whites will only improve in society when
each of us can treat each other with equal rights. As one time there was famous person
that wrote an inspiring quote that expressed equal rights for every person no matter skin
color, class status and other judgmental things as the quote said “I have a dream that my
four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color
of their skin, but by the content of their character”. (Martin Luther King)
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Works Cited
Brown, O., J.R. (2013). The New York City Stop-and- Frisk law: America's war against
black males rages on. Western Journal of Black Studies, 37(4), 258-271.
"Stop and Frisk to Police Brutality." Interview by Ken Thompson. VIN News, 2
Sept. 2013. Web. 29 Oct. 2015. .
Wright, Richard. "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow: An Autobiographical Sketch." The
Ethics of Living Jim Crow: By Richard Wright. New York: Viking, 1937. N.
page. American Stuff: Work from the Federal. Web. 30 Oct. 2015.
3rd
English II
November 13, 2015
2
"The Ethics of Living Jim Crow Laws"
For centuries, there have been incidents of prejudice and unfairness towards
African Americans and their human civil rights; Privileges that have been violated by
some laws, like the obsolete Jim Crow Laws, or laws that are enforced improperly by
those who are in law enforcement. Racism is still prevalent in the United States based on
skin color and racial bias. Laws in the past, such as the outdated Jim Crow Laws,
discriminated against African Americans, just as the Stop and Frisk law enforced in many
states today discriminates against blacks and leads to instances of police brutality. dran couines
see previous
The U.S. Constitution states that "all men are created equal," but that was not the
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case in the Jim Crow period of the year 1877 and mid-1960s. The majority of black
people in that time got mistreated and chased. There was separation of blacks from
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whites. In the ethics of Jim Crow, Richard Wright mentions, “We moved from Arkansas
to Mississippi. Here we had the good fortune not to live close to white neighborhoods.
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There were black churches and black preachers; there were black schools and black
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teachers; black groceries and black clerks.” (Richard Wright 161). This shows that the we MLA
Jim Crow laws were made to keep blacks far from white people. The whites required
who was a target by a Caucasian police officer and was sexually and physical hurt. The
officer mention that by mistake he thought Louima had punched him in the head. The
police persecuted and grabbed Louima then took him to a bathroom which there the
officer shoved a broomstick in the victim and put it on his face then committed another
suc
malicious action. The officer that committed this brutality and racial díscrimination
admitted in court that all he wanted to do is cause an embarrassment to Louima. The
police made an excuse that after someone supposedly punched him in the head then he
thought Louima was the one who did it and ended up persecuting him. (Abner Louima
Case) USE MLA
Syntax
Racial discrimination has been looked as how different races can mistreat others
as because of color, and social status. This has affected African Americans the most over
the years. The question is why, is that racial discrimination hasn't improved at all over
Repetition
time not even from past mistakes. This racial behavior is judgmental and has broken the
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laws as it been in The Stop and frisk law and police brutality actions.
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This example of Jim Crow story as when Richard's white boss and the son of the
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boss took advantage and hit a black female for not paying the rent owned Richard e
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Wright 164). This shows a similar event, as when the officer shoved a stick on Abner
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Louimas face, which shows racial discrimination that some whites have on black people.
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This is similar to how Richard Wright was also constantly picked on because of his skin
color, therefore was mistreated because of segregation of whites and blacks. White
people violated many of black people's civil rights when Richard had another job in a
porter at clothing store.