Racial Injustice and

Discrimination against African

Americans in the USA
Hiba Es-sadki
 Table of contents
01 Slavery and the Middle Passage(17th to 19th centuries)

02 Civil War (1861-1865)

03 Reconstruction Era(1865-1877)

04 Jim Crow Era (Late 19th to mid-20th century)

05 Civil Rights Movement (1950s-1960s)

06 Post-Civil Rights Era (1970s-1980s)

Ongoing Challenges and Modern Forms of Racism
07
 Introduction
The history of racial discrimination in the USA is a
complex narrative shaped by centuries of systemic
injustice. From the era of slavery to Jim Crow
laws, and continuing through struggles for civil
rights, it reflects a persistent pattern of
discrimination against African Americans and other
minority groups. This history has profound
implications for contemporary discussions on
social equity and justice.
 Slavery and the Middle Passage(17th to 19th)
• The Middle Passage refers to the brutal and inhumane sea journey undertaken by enslaved
Africans forcibly transported across the Atlantic Ocean from their homelands to the Americas during
the transatlantic slave trade (17th-19th centuries)

• This voyage was marked by unimaginable hardships, including Overcrowded conditions, physical
restraints, malnutrition, unsanitary conditions, extreme physical and psychological abuse,
environmental hardships
 Civil War (1861-1865)

1 2 3
1860 Election of
Slavery Economic and
Social Differences Abraham Lincoln
Manufacturing and
industry ≠ Farming and
agriculture(cotton,
tobacco)

• The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) was an executive order

issued by the president to declare that all slaves in states “in
rebellion” were to be “forever free”
 Reconstruction Era (1865-1877)
-The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified on December 6, 1865,
after the end of the Civil War, It was a pivotal constitutional change that definitively ended
slavery in the United States.

- While the end of slavery was a major victory, it did not immediately lead to full equality for
Black people. Instead, they faced a host of challenges and obstacles as they sought to establish
themselves as free citizens

- Civil Rights Legislation (14th Amendment - 1868): It granted citizenship and equal
protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. This included the rights to
own property, marry, make contracts, and testify in court

- Voting Rights Protection (15th Amendment - 1870): The 15th Amendment prohibited the
denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude, giving African
American men the constitutional right to vote.

- -Formation of Black Churches and Institutions, Freedmen's Bureau, Educational

Opportunities,,,
 Jim Crow Era (1877-1960s)
• The Jim Crow era can be seen as a backlash against the efforts for emancipation, marked
by institutionalized racism and the systematic denial of basic civil rights to African-
Americans

• Many white Southerners resisted the changes brought about by Reconstruction, which
aimed to establish civil rights and political representation for African Americans

• Racial segregation and discriminatory laws were enforced during the Jim Crow era

• facilities were described as "separate but equal.“

• These laws extended beyond segregation and included restrictions on voting, marriage,
and employment opportunities.

• Limited Economic Opportunities

• Violence and Intimidation

Racial Segregation
 Civil Rights Movement (1950s-1960s)
• The Civil Rights Movement emerged as a response to
systemic racial discrimination, segregation, and
disenfranchisement experienced by African Americans

• It faced fierce opposition from white supremacists, state

authorities, and the federal government, who used violence
and intimidation to suppress the movement

• It used various tactics, such as lawsuits, protests, boycotts,

sit-ins, marches, and speeches, to demand equal rights

• It achieved landmark victories, such as the Brown v. Board

of Education ruling(1954), the Civil Rights Act(1964), the
Voting Rights Act(1965), and the Fair Housing Act(1968)

• It inspired other movements for social change, such as the

women's movement, and the gay rights movement,
 Ongoing Challenges and Modern Forms of Racism

• Racism continues to persist • The Black Lives

in various institutions, Matter (BLM)
including criminal justice, movement
education, healthcare, and
employment. • Trayvon Martin,
Michael Brown,
• Racial disparities in the George Floyd,
criminal justice system
continue
 Conclusion

"Change is never easy, but always possible."

- Barack Obama