CRAZY Jim Crow Laws You NEVER Knew Existed

you know those movies

you know those movies where the evil government makes ridiculous laws to control people Well turns out real life was Stranger Than Fiction when it came to laws against black people Banning black hairstyles caused they were too attractive and caught the eyes of white men check how about banning white and black people dancing together check how about Good Old archaic literacy test for getting to vote check check check today we got it all as we're about to dive into 10 laws so crazy you'll wonder how they ever existed from hair laws to music bands some of these anti-black laws really got creative I'm willing to bet you probably didn't learn about most of these in school right that's why on black stories Untold we're here to fill in those gaps stick around because today we're going to cover some of the craziest laws you never knew existed let's start with a law that targeted something deeply personal black women's hair imagine a world where the government dictated how you styled your locks in 18th century New Orleans this wasn't just imagination it was reality welcome to the world of tenyon laws a set of rules that Force black women to cover their hair in public you're probably wondering why would anyone make a law about hair well it all comes down to beauty and Power in 1786 Spanish Colonial governor Don Esteban Miro enacted the tinan laws in New Orleans these laws required Creole women of color to cover their hair with a ton which was essentially a scarf or handkerchief whenever they appeared in public at first glance this might seem like a trivial fashion regulation but the motivations behind it were deeply rooted in racial and social control the tan laws were direct response to the rising population of free black women in New Orleans these women were becoming increasingly visible in society often sporting elaborate and fashionable hairstyles that attracted attention particularly from white men this challenged the established social hierarchy where black women were supposed to be seen as inferior to their white counterparts historian Virginia M Gould noted that the tinan laws were specifically aimed at women who had become too light-skinned or who dressed too elegantly the colonial government saw these women as a threat to the social order that had govern New Orleans for decades by forcing black women to cover their hair the government hoped to diminish their beauty and attractiveness thereby reinforcing their supposed lower status in society however the law had an unexpected consequence many black women seeing this as a means to get creative turned this oppressive restriction into a powerful fashion statement using intricate fabrics and decorative elements to Adorn their head wraps transforming the T from a symbol of Oppression into one of resistance and cultural Pride this creative response demonstrated the resilience and Ingenuity of these women in the face of discriminatory laws while the tanon laws were no longer enforced after the United States acquired Louisiana in 1803 the impact of these archaic laws would linger for generations to come the cultural significance of head wraps persisted among black women across America evolving into a symbol of identity and resistance that continues to resonate today however the next law is so crazy you're going to have to try and wrap your head around it all right everyone can you solve this riddle type your answer in the comments below to see if you got it right you have 10 seconds are you ready write every other word in this first line and print every third word in the same line but capitalize the fifth word that you write so did you get it you just had a taste of a question on the Louisiana literacy test a test given to Black residents trying to vote in the state the entire test was filled with intentionally confusing questions like these intended to make voting as hard as possible for black voters you might find this easy but imagine having to do 30 of these questions in under 10 minutes oh and miss any of them and you fail the whole thing no doovers or second tries literacy tests also tested voter speaking comprehension on passages from the state constitution where a voter would read a passage in front of a white jury the catch any mispronunciations or slip-ups and the jury could fail you at any time and here's what the sample passages looked like for whites that no person shall be imprisoned for debt and now for blacks the in rising from the 16 section trust fund the Surplus Revenue fund until is called for by the United States government and the funds inated in SE 257 and 258 of the Constitution yeah wow talk about racial biasing reading through an entire slew of legal jargon just to have some old white grandpa disqualify you for mispronouncing innumerous ated unfortunately this sort of bizarre oppressive politics proved brutally effective at disenfranchising the black population take a look at this chart here showing the potential and actual voters for both white and black populations in the state of Louisiana several parishes show a clear difference in voter turnout between white and black populations largely in part to the active denial of black voting rights through these literacy tests but unfortunately the Injustice didn't stop there even those who could pass the mental gymnastics of the literacy tests faced yet another obstacle pole taxes pole taxes were exactly what they sound like a fee citizens had to pay to cast their vote while this might seem like a minor inconvenience today for many black Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries it was an insurmountable barrier in many states the tax was about $6 or $60 adjusting for inflation this was often times incredibly hard for lowincome black individuals to collect due to manipulative and low paying sharecropping contracts many black Southerners still worked and pole taxes were often cumulative meaning individuals had to pay for every year they had missed since reaching voting age in Georgia for example men aged 21 to 60 were required to pay a sum for each year they had been of age this created a significant financial hurdle that shut thousands of black voters out of the democratic process oh and the catch a nice little Grandfather Clause written in the fine print of these pole taxes anyone whose grandfather had voted without paying the tax as all free men did back then was able to be exempt from paying the pole tax of course slaves and their ancestors had been unable to vote so this meant that convenient claws benefited only those white folk whose ancestors had remained in power although some poor white folk were also unable ble to cover the costs of the pole taxes leading to General disenfranchisement among many of the South's poorer populations the 24th Amendment ratified in 1964 finally abolished pole taxes in federal elections however it wasn't until 1966 when the Supreme Court ruled in Harper verse Virginia State Board of Elections that pole taxes were declared unconstitutional in state elections as well this marked a significant victory in the fight for voting rights but the legacy of these discriminatory practices continues to cast a stain on America while voting rights were hard fought another battle for equality raged in emergency rooms and city streets imagine a world where you're injured on the street begging for help in your critical condition but when the ambulance pulls up it isn't for you it's for the white man laying next to you as you sit there waiting on the pavement for another ambulance to come pick you up this wasn't some dystopian fiction but the reality in some parts of America not too long ago in some cities like Pittsburgh ambulance services had been racially segregated with separate vehicles for black and white patients often leading to delays in emergency care for black individuals needless to say the consequences of this ended up being pretty bad for the black community many black residents had to rely on auxiliary police vehicles for ambulance services which often resulted in inadequate Medical care and longer wait times for those needing immediate Emergency Care the system wasn't just unfair it was deadly and it was clear that a change was needed for the better in 1967 the Freedom House ambulance service was founded marking a pivotal moment in emergency medical care this service was the first in the United States staffed entirely by black paramedics providing a model for emergency medical care in underserved black communities Dr pet Safar a key figure in establishing Freedom House emphasized the need for trained emergency medical personnel and sought to improve pre hospital care standards which were sorely lacking in Black communities the impact of Freedom House was immediate and significant in the city of Pittsburg with a response time of less than 10 minutes in most neighborhoods the service saved over 200 lives in its first year alone this success demonstrated not only the importance of Equitable emergency services but but also the capabilities of black medical professionals when given the opportunity to serve their communities of course the road to True equality wasn't smooth for Freedom House local police and City officials put up staunch opposition who viewed it as a threat to their Authority and despite its success and the clear benefits it brought to the community the service was ultimately disbanded in 1975 due to political opposition funding cuts and a shift to a Citywide Ambulance system that employed predominantly white Personnel the story of Freedom House ambulance service is more than just a chapter in the history of Emergency Medical Care the model it established influenced the development of Emergency Medical Services Nationwide ultimately improving care for all Americans and boy you might need to call Emergency Services after you see this next crazy law we're looking at cuz man I might catch a heart attack if caught in one of these towns imagine driving through the American Midwest with your fam looking for a place to rest for the night you roll up to the nearest hotel but you suddenly see a sign like this welcome to sundown towns ever heard of them you probably have they're a little bit notorious but these little alcoves of racism were actually a lot more common than you think the term itself originates from signs that warned black people to leave town by Sundown reflecting the pervasive fear and hostility towards black community during the Jim Crow era and if a black person was caught in one of these towns after Sundown they were either harassed by civilians arrested by police or Worse became a target for lynching unfortunately these weren't isolated incidents in rural backwaters Sundown towns existed across the United States including in both Suburban regions and cities much of the emergence of Sundown towns was in direct response to black migration across the United States most notably occurring between 1916 and 1970 as the promise of non-agricultural work higher wages educational opportunities LED over 6 million black Americans to seek a better life in cities up north as black community sought better Economic Opportunity their presence threatened the white Authority that had dominated the Region's cultural and economic interests in response entire white communities banded together to create an atmosphere of exclusion and intimidation attempting to permanently Drive Away black residents from their communities signs in Sundown towns often explicitly stated no colored people after dark These Warnings served as both a threat and a tool of psychological intimidation to enforce racial boundaries in some cases entire counties were designated as Sundown areas further institutionalizing the practice of racial segregation Beyond individual towns the impact of sundown towns on black travel and migration was profound black Americans had to carefully plan their Journeys ensuring they could reach safe havens before nightfall thankfully the Negro motorist green book a guide book published annually from 1936 to 1966 by Victor Hugo green helped provide black Americans with a guide for road tripping across the States known as the Bible of black travel the guide book sought to provide the black traveler with information that would keep him from running into difficulties and embarrassments that would make his trip less enjoyable yeah minor difficulties like having to worry about being lynched this stuff was no joke while the legal basis for Sundown towns has long since been dismantled their legacy continues to shape American communities today many areas that were once Sundown towns remain predominantly white reflecting historical patterns of segregation that have persisted even after the legal dismantling of such practices while Sundown towns enforced racial boundaries through intimidation some states took it even further they made it illegal for black people to learn how to read or write think about that for a second why would anyone want to keep an entire group of people from learning the answer lies in the power of knowledge and the fear it instilled in those who would stop at nothing to maintain control in several Southern States laws were enacted to prevent enslaved and free black individuals from becoming literate South Carolina was the first state to jump on this bandwagon creating an addendum to their negro act in 1739 making it illegal to teach slaves to read and write other states like Georgia Louisiana and Virginia quickly followed suit the fear was that if enslaved people could read and write they might Escape or start rebellions James H Hammond the governor of South Carolina and strong supporter of slavery wrote in a letter to British abolitionist Thomas Clarkson in 1845 you want to allow our slaves to read your writings stimulating them to cut our throats can you believe us to be such unspeakable fools these laws got even stricter after Nat Turner's rebellion in 1831 a rebellion in Virginia Which saw the deaths of 60 white men women and children making it the deadliest slave revolt in US history this event really freaked out white slaves owners making them even more paranoid about the possibility of organized black rebellion and education they thought that if slaves could read they might start getting ideas about freedom and equality can't have that right but here's the thing people always find a way despite all of these harsh laws many enslaved individuals still managed to learn how to read and write they had to be sneaky about it though take Frederick Douglas for example he learned to read by making friends with white children and trading food for reading lessons it wasn't just the South that was trying to keep black people from getting an education even in the north where slavery was illegal black students were often barred from public schools States like Indiana and Illinois didn't allow black children in public schools until after the Civil War some people even got really creative in fighting these laws John Barry misham for instance set up a floating Freedom School on a steamboat in Missouri by teaching black children in the middle of the Mississippi River which was technically federal land he found a loophole in the state's anti- literacy laws now that's what you call thinking outside the box but despite these workarounds these laws were quite effective on limiting the black population by the time the Civil War rolled around only about 5% to 10% of enslaved African-Americans could read that's a tiny fraction of people who had access to the power of the written word what if dancing to your favorite song could land you in jail for many black Americans music and dance became unexpected Battlegrounds in the fight for equality during the gym Crow era segregation laws didn't just stop at schools and buses they reached into every aspect of life including the world of music and entertainment imagine performing at a concert and being told you couldn't make I contact with the crowds sounds ridiculous right but for black musicians this was sometimes the reality the flamingos a popular do group in the late 1950s faced this exact situation one member recalled it was ridiculous the cops were up there making sure we did not look at any white person these laws weren't just about keeping people apart physically they were trying to keep cultures separate too many venues used physical barriers like like ropes or painted lines to divide black and white audiences as rock and roll emerged combining elements of white country music and black R&B it complicated things even more young people started rebelling against segregation through their shared Love Of Music and Dance despite the laws mixed crowds began to form organically some Brave musicians took a stand against these unfair rules Ray Charles for example canceled a show in Augusta because of their segregation policies he wasn't alone many artists refused to perform in segregated venues using their popularity to push for change not all groups fa the same challenges though the international sweethearts of Rhythm an interracial all-woman Jazz group managed to perform integrated concerts in the 1940s but it wasn't easy they sometimes got turned away from entire towns just for trying to play music together these laws had a big impact on how music developed in America they tried to keep different styles of music separate just like they tried to keep people separate but music has a way of bringing people together even when laws try to keep them apart today we're still dealing with the effects of these old laws when you hear debates about cultural appropriation in music or discussions about giving black artists proper credit for their contributions it all goes back to this history while music became a Battleground for racial equality another deeply personal aspect of life faced even harsher restrictions what if the government could dictate who you were allowed to love for many Americans this wasn't a hypothetical question it was a harsh reality that persisted well into the 20th century anti- misation laws which prohibited marriages between individuals of different races were a Cornerstone of racial segregation in the United States particularly targeting relationships between black and white individuals in 1963 North Carolina's Constitution declared interracial marriages forever prohibited with violators facing criminal charges and their marriages deemed null and void this wasn't an isolated case 16 States had similar laws on the books reflecting deep-seated fears about racial integration and a misguided belief in white supremacy the Turning Point came in 1967 with the land Mark case of loving versus Virginia Richard and Mildred loving an interracial couple were arrested for their marriage in Virginia their legal battle eventually reached the US Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of anti- misation laws the Court's decision was unanimous these laws violated the equal protection Clause of the 14th Amendment chief justice Earl Warren declared that the freedom to marry is a fund FAL right that cannot be denied based on race the justifications for anti- misation laws were rooted in pseudoscience and racist ideology this belief in racial Purity was not just a fringe idea but a mainstream concept that influenced policy and social norms for Generations even after the loving decision the effects of these laws lingered interracial couples continued to face discrimination and social ostracism the stigma associated with interracial relationships didn't disappear overnight and many families struggled to accept unions that crossed racial lines the loving vers Virginia case became a catalyst for change inspiring future legal battles for marriage equality its impact extended Beyond race laying the groundwork for arguments in favor of same-sex marriage decades later the case demonstrated that the right to marry is fundamental and cannot be restricted based on arbit categories like race today while interracial marriages are legally recognized challenges persist couples still report facing discrimination microaggressions and societal pressure we've taken a wild ride through some truly crazy laws that targeted black Americans from hair police to sundown towns these rules were as absurd as they were harmful but here's the thing even though these specific laws are gone their effects still linger to today take voting rights for example while we don't have pole taxes anymore some communities still face barriers to voting or think about how black hairstyles are sometimes called unprofessional in workplaces that's the ghost of those old tan laws haunting us the Freedom House Ambulance Service showed us how community-led initiatives can make a real difference but its closure reminds us that progress isn't always a straight line we've come a long way but there's still work to do start by learning more about these issues look around your community are there Echoes of these old laws and how things work today speak up when you see unfairness remember knowing about the past helps us fight for a better future what will you do to stand against Injustice

This chapter of the story continues from the previous sectio

This chapter of the story continues from the previous section.

This chapter of the story continues from the previous sectio

This chapter of the story continues from the previous section.

This chapter of the story continues from the previous sectio

This chapter of the story continues from the previous section.

This chapter of the story continues from the previous sectio

This chapter of the story continues from the previous section.