Remembering Jim Crow Readings copy PDF

# Bitter Truths ## Ferdie Walker - Ferdie Walker was born in 1928 and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. - She describes the growing awareness of Jim Crow among African American children. - She recounts hearing racist stereotypes about black men and women's sexuality, which were used to justify the sexu...

# Bitter Truths ## Ferdie Walker - Ferdie Walker was born in 1928 and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. - She describes the growing awareness of Jim Crow among African American children. - She recounts hearing racist stereotypes about black men and women's sexuality, which were used to justify the sexual exploitation of black women. - These stereotypes were especially prevalent during slavery. - White southerners described black women as lustful "Jezebels". - Black men's efforts to advance politically and economically after the Civil War encouraged white southerners to create new stereotypes surrounding black men. - The black man was often stereotyped as a rapist. - This stereotype was used to justify the lynching of thousands of black men in the South. - Rape was rarely a charge in the cases of lynching. - Degrading sexual stereotypes continued to affect black people's lives in manifold ways. - Ferdie Walker experienced this stereotyping as an 11-year-old child facing sexual harassment by two white police officers. - Walker recounts the experience of standing at a bus stop on Sunday afternoon and being harassed by white police officers. - The officers would drive up and expose themselves to Walker. - Walker's fear of the police was lifelong and affected how she raised her children. - Walker eventually became a public health nurse in the 1950s. ## Wilhelmina Griffin Jones - Wilhelmina Griffin Jones of Tuskegee, Alabama, was born in 1915 to a farming family. - During the 1943 court proceedings, Jones remained indignant. - She refused to adhere to racist protocol. - Her companion used veiled compliance and prevailing stereotypes to manipulate public officials. - Jones had moved to Tuskegee in 1942 to work at the Tuskegee Army Airfield. - Jones was driving with friends one Saturday afternoon and the Tuskegee police stopped the car because of a fire hose that was stretched across the street. - The police officer demanded to know Jones' name and then berated her for addressing herself as Miss. - Jones was not a married woman. - She was forced to appear in the mayor's court on Monday. - Jones dressed up on Monday to appear in court, while her friend dressed down in overalls, dusty shoes, and a cap with a turned-up bill in an effort to appear more friendly to the police. - The mayor treated Jones with disrespect, while seeming more lenient towards her friend. - Jones was fined $17. - The mayor made disparaging remarks about Jones' race. - Jones was disturbed by the way her friend was able to shift his personality to appear more friendly to the police. ## Remembering Jim Crow ### Resistance and Political Struggles - Jones had faced a great deal of hostility due to her race. - She recounts an instance where she was the victim of a roadblock set up by police officers and the officer demanded to know her name and berated her for using the term Miss to address herself as a woman. - She faced a harsh reaction from the police and later from the mayor. - She felt like she was being treated harshly because she was Black. - The mayor's response was a blatant denial of racist behaviour. - The officer treated Jones harshly, despite his friend's attempt to appease him. - The officer felt that he could use racial slurs freely, but that using the title "Miss" towards a Black woman was a crime. - The officer decided to use a lenient approach toward Jones' friend because he was dressed in an "unthreatening" manner. - The officer's actions could not have been accomplished without a complete lack of empathy and understanding on the part of the police. - Jones believed this type of behaviour went back to her childhood, when she was repeatedly harassed by white police officers. - The blatant racism of the mayor was especially disturbing to Jones.