African american Quote by Edward E. Baptist
““Within half a century after Butler sent Charles Mallory away from Fortress Monroe empty-handed, the children of white Union and Confederate soldiers united against African-American political and civil equality. This compact of white supremacy enabled southern whites to impose Jim Crow segregation on public space, disfranchise African-American citizens by barring them from the polls, and use the lynch-mob noose to enforce black compliance. White Americans imposed increased white supremacy outside the South, too. In non-Confederate states, many restaurants wouldn’t serve black customers. Stores and factories refused to hire African Americans. Hundreds of midwestern communities forcibly evicted African-American residents and became “sundown towns” (“Don’t let the sun set on you in this town”). Most whites, meanwhile, believed that””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Half Has Never Been Told by Edward E. Baptist, 2015
White supremacy after the Civil War unified white Northerners and Southerners to deny Black rights, creating segregation and violence across the U.S.
In simple terms: White racism spread nationwide, restricting Black freedom and equality.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge systemic racism today.
Themes
racism
segregation
history
civil rights
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
historical
analytical
When to use this quote
- voting rights
- employment
- housing
- public accommodations
Key Concepts
white supremacy
Jim Crow
racial violence
Questions to Reflect On
- How did local economies benefit from segregation?
- What can be done to dismantle lingering Jim Crow structures?
A Different Perspective
The narrative may understate regional variations in resistance.
![“(Charles Morgan, Jr., Southern Director of the ACLU in 1966, upon seeing conditions in the Jefferson County jail): ...I knew that [Southern whites] would have annihilated blacks had they been more literate and less useful. In Hitler's Germany armbands identified Jews. Those with black skin could…” quote by Wayne Greenhaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b0d/wayne-greenhaw-135027_black-skin_charles-morgan-jr-southern-director-of-t_1940035.jpg)
![“You cannot be responsible for Jim Crow. You can not be responsible for racism. This is much more a problem for the person exercising racism.You are confronted with the reality of racism when you go in the streets, when the eyes of others come upon you. [James] Baldwin goes back with you to all the…” quote by Raoul Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d5f/raoul-peck-8162_being-responsible_you-cannot-be-responsible-for-jim-crow-y_75051.jpg)
