Racism in Southern Life

Racism permeated every aspect of southern life style and thus every part of an Afro-American's life, from his self-perception to his basic economic condition. It was almost impossible to overcome because it was ingrained into the thinking of everyone, both black and white. The older blacks felt that things would never improve, but could get worse if they participated in the movement. Their goals were basic subsistence. The middle-class blacks would lose their jobs if they marched or tried to register to vote. Consequently, the students provided much of the energy in the civil rights movement because they had the least to lose and the most amount of foresight. Moody was pessimistic upon seeing that the movement did not represent a cross section of the population.

Racism, which was born of slavery's economic foundation, continued to control the black family's economic condition. It was hardest on the head of the household; a woman could always secure domestic work. Moody writes "In Centreville there weren't any factories or sawmills that employed unskilled Negro men . . . White businesses in town employed Negroes as janitors only, and there was never more than one janitor in any single business. The Negro man had a hard road to travel when looking for employment" (112). Job limitations influenced the Afro-American's perception and self-image. If a man could not support his family, he did not feel like the head of the household. The working felt like their self-wor

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. Such events produced little fear in Moody, rather it produced anger. Fearless people who got angry--like students and liberal whites--formed the basis of the civil rights movement. The movement was built by young black people who had nothing to lose, except their lives. Students were the basis of SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Council, and CORE, Congress of Racial Equality. They saw little future for themselves or children without some semblance of equality. The middle-class professionals did not participate because they feared losing their jobs. Many of those who tried to register to vote were fired from their jobs. She explains matter-of-factly "There would also be the schoolteachers and the middle-class professional Negroes who dared not participate. They knew once they did, they would lose that $250 a month job" (254). Although they had the most to lose economically and professionally, she expected them to stick out their necks and risk it. She called some of the ministers and school principals "Toms" for not supporting the movement and standing up to the whites. In addition, the blacks from the country were not interested in the movement. Moody writes that "Most of these old plantation Negroes had

Category: History - R