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When slavery was reaching its end a new set of laws in the United States emerged, called the John Crow Laws.
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John Crow Laws made it legally acceptable to force African Americans to use separate washrooms, entrances, water fountains, schools, and transportation than white Americans.
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John Crow Laws were meant to establish the right of 'white' Americans to treat African Americans 'separate, but equal'.
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As segregation laws became common, African Americans were not treated equal. They were often treated with police brutality, and endured economic hardships because they were denied access to social programs, housing, and even jobs (which were given to whites).
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In 1953 a young girl was denied access to a white school in Topeka, Kansas. Her parents sued the school board and won a historic case in the Supreme Court Brown vs. Board of Education. Without a specific timeline for desegregation however it took time to be implemented.
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The Ku Klux Klan is an organization that has existed since 1865, which believes in white supremacy and continues to believe in segregation. This organization has been famous for its use of terror and violence against African Americans.
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Segregation still exists today in many institutions across the United States. Following desegregation laws in the 1960s, the majority of African American children were enrolled in schools alongside white children. The numbers of African American children enrolled in minority schools today, especially in the Northeast, are rising, while those attending schools with white children are dropping.
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Segregation has existed in other countries throughout history including England, Ireland, French Algeria, Germany, China, Italy, Latin America, Norway, Rhodesia, South Africa, Bahrain, Canada, Fiji, Israel, Liberia, Malaysia, Mauritania, and Yemen.
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Segregation in Germany and other Nazi occupied countries implemented segregation laws against the Jews and Romas, which became the Nuremberg Laws, and resulted in the Holocaust.
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Segregation in South Africa in 1948 resulted in the apartheid system that labeled residents as black, white, Coloured, or Indian. Apartheid didn't really end until 1994 when Nelson Mandela won the election.
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In Canada and the United States Native Americans were segregated. This also affected other immigrant races including Indians, Japanese, and Chinese. Segregation in this regard ended in the 1950s and 60s.
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Dr. Martin Luther King was a major influence in ending segregation, despite his assassination. Other important figures in ending segregation in the United States include Rosa Parks, and Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr.
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