Take a few moments to carefully examine the photo below. Here, we see an African-American man drinking from a water can that is labeled “colored”. To both sides of him there are signs that indicate two separate restrooms for men and women: one for white and one for “colored”. The seperate-but-equal doctrine not only allowed, but justified racial segregation. A scene like this one was typical of the everyday lives of southern African-Americans. Drinking fountains and restrooms were not the only places for segregation. There were separate schools, movie theaters, restaurants, stores, and churches for African-Americans. It was also a common practice to refuse service to customers based solely on race. Buses on the other hand transported both white and “colored” passengers; however, they had a divider where the African-American passengers were required to sit in the back of the bus. After looking at this photo, what thoughts come to mind? What sort of feelings arise? What would your reaction be if you saw this kind of scene today? Is there anything else you see that is not shown in the picture? In a few sentences, briefly write your reflections below in the comments section.
The American Civil Rights Movement 