ShmoopTube

Where Monty Python meets your 10th grade teacher.

Search Thousands of Shmoop Videos


U.S. History 1877-Present Videos 173 videos

U.S. History 1877-Present 11: Reconstruction and Black Codes
6413 Views

Have you ever told one of your siblings to stop poking you, only to have them do something like hold their hand right in front of your face instead...

U.S. History 1877-Present 3: John D. Rockefeller
13980 Views

John D. Rockefeller. Greasy robber baron, or philanthropic saint? Why not both? Boy, that's a weird combination... 

U.S. History 1877-Present 3: Native Americans in the Gilded Age
9665 Views

Today we'll learn about plans to assimilate the American Indian population after reconstruction. If you've ever seen Star Trek, you'll know that fo...

See All

U.S. History 1877-Present 2: Responses to Jim Crow 760 Views


Share It!


Description:

Today we'll learn about opposition to Jim Crow and how Booker T. Washington could have been one of those rich self-help gurus in today's world.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:04

There were many ways that black Americans resisted Jim Crow some

00:08

undermined the system without appearing to do so like Cooper secret double [Double agents wearing glasses and hats]

00:12

agents many chose to play it cool they carefully navigated through the complex

00:16

maze of rules and restrictions trying to make sure they in their families had a [Man and woman in a maze]

00:20

future Booker T Washington, a former slave and spokesman of black vocational

00:26

learning was their guru he encouraged self-help and you know going with the [Washington giving a speech]

00:31

flow Booker T hoped this would help his people get an education, get better jobs

00:36

and ultimately gain economic independence... Booker T Washington

00:40

believes black citizens had to worry about proving themselves worthy of

00:44

social equality before they could fight disenfranchisement in segregation he's

00:50

quoted as saying the whole future of the Negro rested largely upon the question

00:54

as to whether or not he should make himself through his skill intelligence

00:58

and character well Booker T's approach was kind of like a secret sneak attack [Man appears from thick grass]

01:02

on the system of oppression not all african-americans were particularly

01:06

thrilled with Washington's sneak attack scheme young people were feeling bolder

01:11

than Washington unafraid of white authority and not wanting to play by [Black Americans protesting segregation]

01:14

white rules...... Well many blacks were coming to believe that white resentment and

01:21

retaliation was unavoidable on the road to success the intimidation harassment

01:26

terrorism and violence they endured convinced them that the American Dream

01:30

did not apply to them for them it was the American Nightmare and yet there

01:35

weren't cries of viva la revolucion why not well first of all there were a few [People protesting in the street[

01:40

little mini revolutions but they were sporadic and unorganized and they just

01:44

led to more white violence anti-black violence was everywhere so rising up

01:49

wouldn't exactly have been a winning strategy white lawmakers, business owners, [People in a meeting room]

01:54

employers, landlords, educators, religious leaders and politicians were all

01:58

encouraged they were racist jerks but at least they learned the value of

02:02

cooperation black women and men who were too on top of their game were

02:06

immediately shoved back down because a black person being as successful as a

02:11

white person that sounded like crazy talk... From the

02:15

late 19th century through the 1950s federal government put on a blindfold [Uncle Sam wearing blind fold]

02:19

when it came to the treatment of blacks in the south and really throughout

02:22

America the feds basically said well you guys are on your own good luck we're

02:28

guessing African Americans were about as surprised as a kid who's sick of her [Young girl playing with a Jack-in-the-box]

02:31

jack-in-the-box

Related Videos

Why Does the Constitution Still Work for Us?
5723 Views

Ever heard of a "living document"? They eat and breathe just like the rest of us! They even walk around on their own two legs. Okay, fine—maybe t...

The Puritans and the Division of Church and State
1280 Views

If the Puritans had gotten their way, religion would play a much larger role in lawmaking these days. Want to know more? Watch the video for all th...

Shays' Rebellion
6475 Views

What happened between the creation of the Articles of Confederation and the ratification of the current U.S. Constitution? This video analyzes the...

There's More Than One Way to Crack a Modernist Egg
539 Views

The Modernists thought the world had a lot of problems, and they were intent on fixing them—or at least talking about fixing them. Unfortunately,...

Federalism
2532 Views

This video explains Federalism and the quest for a fair balance between state and national power. It covers the progression and compromises of Fede...