The reconstruction era had come and gone in the South, and with that beast slain, a new ugly creature had reared its head. Segregation was the new law of the land. Thereupon, many despicable acts became common place, and a new battle was coming, not on the fields, but in the heart of a nation.
With slavery put six feet under years ago, many white southerns regarded their new fellow American citizens with open loathing, and quickly set out constructing barriers to hinder the success of free African Americans. Among these tactics, were poll taxes, and anti-miscegenation laws. What was surprising to me, was learning about the many iterations of the Klan. During the early nineteen hundreds, it was again reborn, and back more violent than ever. (See History.com) The second Klan, brought with it many of the infamous call signs we know today, the white robes and hoods, the violence, the murder, the villainy.
A memorial to those lynched, exceeding four thousand
As presented in class, thousands were lynched and killed by violent groups during this time period. Some three quarters of them black Americans, whom these attacks targeted in particular. Additionally, these atrocities were no longer isolated to the south, like in the years of the slavery. Now, any number of individuals could strike at any moment, from any state or city. This unpredictability, of course, added to their effectiveness as agents of terror.
With these times of great horror, remarkably came astounding triumphs as well. C.O.R.E., or the "Congress of Racial Equality" was founded as non-violent activist group, which provided training to activists across the nation. The "National Association for the Advancement of Colored People", was founded in 1909 to assist those in need of primarily legal assistance, to continue their fight against oppression. (See aaregistry.org)
Perhaps the most culturally significant movement, however, came from the otherwise humble Harlem, NY. Here it was the music of Louis Armstrong, the literature of Langston Hughes, and the art of Arron Douglass that pulled on the heart strings of America. Jazz music, in particular, a improv mashup of ragtime and the blues, exploded in popularity. And in this new music, many people of all backgrounds also discovered common ground. From the local mailman, to Al Capone, people began to mingle under the overture of music in ways never seen before. It was perhaps the excess of illegal alcohol, or maybe the social interactions that drew people to speak-easy bars, but whatever the reason, the end result was profound unity.
A mixed group of Jazz musicians
In conclusion, the early 1900's were a time of darkness. War, economic downturn and racism were but a few horsemen which brought about a thick cloud of darkness. Yet, even in their shadow, many began to bring about new and unique light. This was done in the courtrooms by the NAACP, the classrooms by CORE, or the drunken merriment of Jazz. Thereupon, the late twentieth century civil rights movement began to build steam.
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