Dismantling Segregation in the American South

Segregation within southern society was a way of life, layers upon layers of ignorance, supremacy and stubbornness encrusted the white southern attitude towards the African-American proportion of the population. It is crucial however to consider the process of segregation before there is an attempt to determine the events that lead to the dismantling of it. It is then of particular significance that segregation is defined in order to resolve how it was built and what events took place to demolish it. Segregation in itself, contains many characteristics that lead to its wider appearance. Many circumstances were highly significant in the dismantling of the legalized segregation, that was deeply rooted in the twentieth century south. Segregation was the enforced separation of different racial groups within southern society, however during the twentieth century the gusts of change where blowing throughout the South.

To investigate how the transformation of segregation in the American south happened, it is important to define the process of segregation during the years 1865-1950s. In doing so, we can then understand why it was important for the welfare of the South as a whole, to give up the deeply implanted attitude that was linked to the separate white and black spheres. Southern culture as a whole, was protected by their own embedded culture of segregation. Old ways of thinking were stubbornly embroiled in southern culture, this is particularly shown in 1963 when asked about segregation and the civil rights movement, the Atlanta resident A.Y chancellor remarked that supporters of the movement were completely delusional. “Are you so foolish as to think that you can undo, overnight, custom and society which has prevailed for these...

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...outhern culture.

Bibliography

Secondary readings

Ayers, E. L., Southern Crossing: A history of the American south 1877-1906 (Oxford, 1998) p. 157-181

Sklaroff, L. R., Constructing G.I Joe Louis: Cultural Soloutions to the “negro problem” during world war II

Nasstrom, K. L., Beginning and endings: life stories and the periodization of the civil rights movement in Journal of American History

Sokol, J., There goes my everything: white southerners in the age of civil rights, 1945-1975 (USA, 2006) p.

William Harris, “Etiquette, Lynching and Racial Boundaries in Southern History: A Mississippi Example,” in American Historical Review 100:2 (Apr. 1995): 387-410. JSTOR

Internet Sources

Shepard & B. Stonaker, ‘Segregation’ (www.kawvalley.k12.ks.us/brown_v_board/segregation.htm) (19 Mar. 2011).

Films

All the King’s Men (1949)

February One (2003)