Black history Quote by Michelle Alexander
““By the turn of the twentieth century, every state in the South had laws on the books that disenfranchised blacks and discriminated against them in virtually ever sphere of life, lending sanction to a racial ostracism that extended to schools, churches, housing, jobs, restrooms, hotels, restaurants, hospitals, orphanages, prisons, funeral homes, morgues, and cemeteries. Politicians competed with each other by proposing and passing every more stringent, oppressive, and downright ridiculous legislation (such as laws specifically prohibiting blacks and whites from playing chess together.)””
About This Quote
Source Book: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, 2010
Systemic racism was codified through Jim laws that excluded Black people from public and private life, reinforcing segregation and inequality across society.
In simple terms: Legal segregation excluded Black people from all areas of life.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and dismantle structural racism.
Themes
racism
legal oppression
segregation
civil rights
Mood
angry
determined
hopeful
Type
historical
political
educational
When to use this quote
- voting rights
- housing
- employment
- education
- public accommodations
Key Concepts
institutional racism
social control
racial hierarchy
Questions to Reflect On
- How do modern policies perpetuate segregation?
- What actions can individuals take to combat systemic racism?
A Different Perspective
Even after formal laws ended, de facto discrimination persists.
![“[T]he slave went free; stood a brief moment in the sun; then moved back again toward slavery. —W.E.B Du Bois, Black Reconstruction in America For” quote by Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/fdb/michelle-alexander-750_slavery_t-he-slave-went-free-stood-a-brief-momen_96485.jpg)
![“[W]e are the heirs of a past of rope, fire, and murder. I for one am not ashamed of this past. My shame is for those who became so inhuman that they could inflict this torture upon us.” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ae7/martin-luther-king-jr-127_ashamed_w-e-are-the-heirs-of-a-past-of-rope-fire_62341.jpg)
