Jim Crow Lessons

Living as a different race would be extremely distinctive from how we live. We are used to having everything handed to us and living an ease-free life. Never having to think about the dangers we might face walking down the road, it is amazing how much our world has changed since the early 1900's. Although there still is some racism in the world today, its hard to comprehend that black people were so differently treated than how they are now. They received absolutely no respect and were often not even seen as a real person. "Well walk you black son of a bitch." Everywhere a black person went, they could not escape constant harassment because of their skin color. I couldn't imagine living in a world where people looked past you every time you smiled at them. Do we really blame racism on people's ethical decisions? I would have to argue that generations ago were brought up learning that black people were a disgrace. The only things they knew were the things that they were taught. The government basically brought many dark skinned people into our country on a ship and began auctioning them off to be laborers. Slavery was the only thing that they were known for doing! White men didn't know better that they were being truly racist. Black people were presented as objects and remained so until we later made a change in our world.
The Jim Crow lessons that Richard learned were all about how he was treated contradictive to white men. He wasn't able to do the things that priviledged white kids could do. He had to find a way to get around the poor treatment and live happily as a black man. This was a very problematic situation due to the constant racism and discrimination he was faced with everyday. He endured situations where he witnessed and also was involved in biased treatment. At his "white man" job he worked just as hard as everyone else, but was still treated like he was a dog. He couldn't escape the fact that he was black, but did everything he could to fit in with the rest of the workers. "This is white man's work around here, and you better watch yourself." Who knew that only white men could work? This was not accurate at all, but they were all blind to the fact that he was equivalent to them. No one would let go of the idea that whites were superior to blacks and could not comprehend that everyone is truly equal.
"Here my Jim Crow education assumed quite a different form... Here I learned to lie, to steal, to dissemble." Since Richard was out of the norm, he had to respect whites but also find a way to earn respect back. It obviously wasn't easy always trying to find your way around being picked on, but always making a courteous move would save him from being slapped. He didn't really have a choice other than try and fit in. Stories of "Jim Crow" lessons always remind me that everyone deserves equal treatment. These simple messages help us understand that we are all the same, just unique in our own ways.