Bridging The Divide: A New Era

An in depth look at The Reconstruction Era and introduction to Jim Crow Laws.

BEFORE THE U-S WAS EVEN ACOUNTRY.TO UNDO IT...YOU NEED TO DRILL DOWN DEEP.TONIGHT, AS 13 ACTION NEWSCONTINUES "BRIDGING THEDIVIDE"...13 ACTION NEWS REPORTER ALICIAPATTILLO SHOWS US HOW...ENDING SLAVERY WAS NOT AN ENDTO DISPARITY.NOT EVEN CLOSE.WHEN SLAVERY ENDED A NEW ERAROSE.THIS PERIOD WOULD SHAPE OURCOUNTRY FOR YEARS TO COME.THIS IS THE RECONSTRUCTION ANDTHE INTRODUCTION OF JIM CROW.(NAT SOUND "IT WAS NOT, THEN,RACE AND CULTURE CALLING OUTOF THE SOUTH IN 1876; IT WASPROPERTY AND PRIVILEGE,SHRIEKING TO ITS OWN KIND, ANDPRIVILEGE AND PROPERTY HEARDAND RECOGNIZED THE VOICE OF ITSOWN." W.E.B.DU BOIS.AFTER THE CIVIL WAR THERE WAS ATIME OF SIGNIFICANTTRANSFORMATION IN THE UNITEDSTATES.(NAT SOUND / "THERECONSTRUCTION ERA 1865 -1877" AMERICA WAS GRAPPLINGWITH A WAY TO INTEGRATEMILLIONS OF FORMER SLAVES INTOITS SOCIAL, POLITICAL ANDECONOMIC LIFE.THERE WAS OPPOSITIONEVERY STEP OF THE WAY.(NAT SOUND / "ABRAHAM LINCOLNSAID A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINSTITSELF CANNOT STAND." DURINGSAID A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINSTITSELF CANNOT STAND." DURINGTHIS PERIOD OF CHANGE CONGRESSPASSED CONSTITUTIONALAMENDMENTS THAT WOULD LAY THETHE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENTGRANTED BLACK MEN THE RIGHT TOVOTE."THERE IS THIS BRIEF MOMENTWHERE THE RECONSTRUCTIONPROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED WHEREYOU START TO SEE"BLACK MEN FLEXING THEIRPOLITICAL MUSCLES AND VOTINGBLACK PEOPLE INTO OFFICE"AND THERE DOES SEEM TO BE SOMETYPE OF SHIFT OCCURRING IN THE1860S AND THEAND THERE DOES SEEM TO BE SOMETYPE OF SHIFT OCCURRING IN THE1860S AND THE1870S." BLACK PEOPLE WEREFINALLY ACQUIRING THE LAND OFFORMER SLAVE OWNERS, WORKINGAND EARNING AN EDUCATION.STILL.ACCEPTANCE WAS AN UPHILLBATTLE, THAT KEPT GETTINGSTEEPER."THE HARDENING OF RACISM OCCURSAFTER THE POTENTIAL OF BLACKLIBERATION IMEAN THIS THE GREAT STORY OFAMERICA EVERY TIME BLACK PEOPLETAKE A STEPFORWARD WHITE SUPREMACY CRACKDOWN EVEN HARSHER."(NAT SOUND / "BLACK CODES ANDTHE KU KLUX CLAN" )(NAT SOUND / "MY NAME IS ROYLITTLE AND I'M NOT ASHAMED TOBE A KLANSMAN....AMEN" BLACKCODES WERE LAWS DESIGNED TORESTRICT THE FREEDOM OF AFRICANEVEN THOUGH THE 15TH AMENDMENTHAD BEEN PASSED GIVING BLACKWHICH DISCOURAGED MANY BLACKMEN FROM EXERCISING THEIRRIGHTS THAT WERE JUST GRANTEDTO THEM."BLACK MOBILITY WAS SOABOUT BLACK FOLKS?

I DON'T NEEDTHE K-K-K DROVE HATE AND FEARFOR GENERATIONS OF BLACKAND KILLING WITH A MOBMENTALITY OFTEN BY LYNCHING.RACE."RACISM IN AMERICA WOULDCONTINUE WITH THE RISE OF JIMCROW LAWS.(NAT SOUND )"JIM CROW LAWS IS WHAT WEUNDERSTAND TO BE SEGREGATIONLAWS.BUT ALSO NOT JUST THAT BUT THECONTROLLING OF BLACK MOBILITY.JIM CROW COMES FROM ASTEREOTYPE OF A PERFORMER WHOHAD THIS SONG CALLED JUMP JIMCROW AND IT WAS ESSENTIALLY AMINSTREL SONG AND THAT WASADOPTED BY THE SOUTHERNLEGISLATURES BUT ALSO IN THENORTH LEGISLATURES AS WELL TOESSENTIALLY RESTRICT THEFRATERNIZATION BETWEEN THERACES..IT WAS DESIGNED TO PREVENTBLACK PEOPLE FROM ENJOYING THESAME PRIVILEGES THAT WHITEPEOPLE HELD.IT WAS THIS IDEA THAT THEYCOULD LIVE IN THE SAME STATEBUT THEY HAD TO LIVE INSEPARATE AREAS" THIS NEW ERAOF JIM CROW WOULD INSPIRE THECIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT --LOOKING TO SPARK A CHANGE INTHE COUNTRY."NOW IF A BLACK PERSON FORINSTANCE DECIDED TO DRINK ATTHE WRONG FOUNTAIN FOR INSTANCETHAT WAS A PROSECUTABLE LAW BUTWHAT JIM CROW ALSO DID WAS ITADDED ADDITIONAL PENALTIES ANDADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS TO THEBLACK POPULATION SO IT WAS MORETHAN JUST SEGREGATION THEREWERE THINGS CALLED TRUANCY LAWSWHICH YOU WERE OUT AFTER ACERTAIN TIME OF NIGHT YOU COULDBE ARRESTED AND THEN SENT INTOCONVICT LABOR FOR INSTANCE SOWHAT WE CALL IS THE RISE OFMASS INCARCERATION BEGINS UNDERJIM CROW BECAUSE BLACK MOBILITYWAS SO RESTRICTED AT THATTIME." NAT SOUND / "WE GONNASTAY TOGETHER WE GON MOANTOGETHER WE GON GROW TOGETHERAND AFTER WHILE WE WILL SAYFREEDOM, FREEDOM NOW." (NATSOUND / "THE PROBLEM OF THETWENTIETH CENTURY IS THEPROBLEM OF THECOLOR LINE." - W.E.B.

DU BOIS.THE COLOR LINE AND THE ROLE ITPLAYS TODAY IS THE REFLECTIONOF A HISTORY OF HATE INAMERICA.AS WE CONTINUE TO BRIDGE THEDIVIDE WE FIND HOW JIM CROWLAWS LAID A FOUNDATIONAL CURSEON BLACK OPPRESSION.ALICIA PATTILLO, 13 ACTION NEWSSTILL AHEAD TONIGHT..BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS ANDHELPING