Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird - 1324 Words

In 1865, slavery became illegal. Though, America was unsure of the long-lasting problem that was to come: segregation. Churches, Schools, and other public environments became â€Å"white only†. Then, in 1866, the first Civil Rights Act was passed. This act forbids the previous acts of segregation, and in some cases, racism. Unfortunately, eleven years after, the compromise of 1877 was passed; which then put an end to segregation being illegal. Since then, segregation has again been prohibited and stayed this way. Still, many acts of racism/segregation between blacks and whites have been happening; especially in the court of law. In America, segregation/ racism has been an important part of history for centuries; yet, there are court cases that†¦show more content†¦In this novel, the court case and Atticus’s actions prove that around the 1930’s the court automatically assumes a black man guilty when ruling against a white man. If Tom Robinson had not gott en shot, he had a very low probability of winning the case. He was physically unable to strangle Mayella Ewell due to his early hand injury, but because he was black the court did not even take this into consideration. The court barely payed attention to his case, and what he had to say solely because of his color. Another example of racism/ segregation in the court of law is Plessy versus Ferguson case. This case started when in 1891, a group of young black men from New Orleans formed the â€Å"Citizens’ Committee to test the Constitutionality of the Separate Car Law†. The group then raised money and hired Albion W. Tourgeà ©, a Republican author and politician, to be their lawyer. Eventually, on May 15th, 1892, the Louisiana State Supreme Court decided that the Separate Car Law was, indeed, unconstitutional. Then on June 7th, 1892 Homer Plessy, seated himself in the white compartment. Plessy was â…ž white or, in other words, a mulatto. Even being less than 13% black, Plessy was still not allowed to be in the â€Å"white only† part of the train. He was then arrested and charged for breaking state law. Tourgeà © argued against this stating that â€Å"the law requiring ‘separate but equal accommodations’ was unconstitutional.† Finally, John H.Show MoreRelatedRacism In To Kill A Mockingbird1570 Words   |  7 Pageshistory, racism has enslaved and segregated many races in other countries, but in the United States, the African-Americans have especially been victims of racism and segregation based upon their color. In recent history, the struggle to achieve equality and eradicate racism in the United States has been an ongoing battle since the late 1800’s. In Harper Lee s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses her own experience and draws from events during her childhood to bring to expose racism againstRead MoreRacism In To Kill A Mockingbird1740 Words   |  7 Pages In the book  ¨To Kill A Mockingbird ¨ by Harper Lee, the differences of social class, ideals, and how racism is showed during the 1930s are mainly shown. This book was set in the city Maycomb, Alabama and specifically on a young girl named Scout and her family. Scout s father, Atticus, is a lawyer, but he ´s a little different from the rest. Atticus is the kind of lawyer white people hate but blacks appreciate simply because he knows what ´s right no matter the color of their skin or race. DuringRead MoreRacism In To Kill A Mockingbird1301 Words   |  6 PagesThere are a lot of life lessons learned by all the characters in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird. This classic novel takes place during the Great Depression, in the 1930s, and is set in the southern state of Alabama when segregation and racism were at their worst. Lee tells the story of a young girl name Jean Louise â€Å"Scout† Finch, her brother Jeremy Atticus â€Å"Jem† Finch, her father Atticus Finch, her friend Charles Baker â€Å"Dill† Harris, Tom Robinson, and many other supporting characters thatRead MoreEssay On Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird1212 Words   |  5 PagesRacism and Prejudice A person’s childhood can really affect the way they see the world. Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is highly influenced by the life she lived as a little girl. She grew up in the small town of Monroeville, Alabama. She was born there in 1926 and recently passed away in February of 2016 (Lee). Harper Lee’s real name was Nelle (Nail), but everyone calls her Harper because she opted for Nelle to be left off of her first novel. Her parents named her after her grandmotherRead MoreImpact Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird910 Words   |  4 PagesIn Harper Lee’s book â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† Jem , Scout , and Dill live in Maycomb , Alabama around the time of the 1930’s they all were struggling through racism and poor family’s trying to get by. Harper Lee’s first and only novel â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† was published during the civil right movements. In this book Jem, Scout, and Dill tend to have courage and loyalty through life and in their relationship toward one another . Jem and Scout are brother and sister, Dill is a friend of the familyRead MoreTheme Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird1340 Words   |  6 Pages1930’s. Racism is a major aspect in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The main character, Scout, has to deal with this problem everyday. Bob Ewell, Mr. Cunningham, and other characters are very racist, and don’t approve of Atticus defending a â€Å"Negroe†. This causes Scout to be bullied in school and even attacked by Mr. Ewell. Also, characters such as Tom Robinson are negatively affected by racism in Maycomb. Tom is killed just because of his skin color. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, HarperRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Racism Analysis1348 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee wrote, â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird† during a racial period in her home state of Alabama. This was when the South was still segregated, forcing blacks to use separat e facilities apart from those used by whites. The Civil Rights movement started to become more active when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. During this period, Martin Luther King, Jr., became the leader of the movement, and the issue began to gain serious national attention. This isRead MoreRacism In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to a report from dosomething.org, in 2009, 2/3 of the criminals receiving life sentences were non-whites. This shows that racism is still going on today and in Harper Lees book, To Kill A Mockingbird. Her book takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama during the depression. The story is told by Jean Louise Finch, who goes by Scout. She lives with her brother named Jeremy Finch, or Jem, and their father named Atticus. He is an attorney and not afraid to stand up for what he believes inRead MoreEssay On Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird952 Words   |  4 Pages The courthouse in the book To Kill a Mockingbird is represented as an old, traditional setting in the deep south, and with traditions of the deep south comes racism. In giving Scout a lesson in how racism works, Atticus also does the same for the readers. On the syllabus of this conversation: the power of language, not only as a way to shame those who don’t toe on the racist line, but also to set the terms of the debate. Racists use â€Å"nigger-lover† to suggest African Americans special rights.,Read MoreTheme Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird1450 Words   |  6 Pages Ingrained Racism â€Å"Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird...Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy† (Lee 119). The white community sinned and the black community suffered as an innocent mockingbird was killed. Although innocence is one recurring theme in Harper Lee’s novel, it seems as though it only mattered to her. Lee illustrates the widespread racial discrimination and oppression that developed in every social class of Maycomb, Alabama. Mulligan’s interpretation however