Since The Beginning And Founding Of Our Nation, There Has

Since the beginning and founding of our nation, there has always been the issue of race and class within our society. In Washington, A History of Our National City, the author Tom Lewis clearly describes the role of race and segregation throughout the development of Washington DC. Throughout the text Lewis illustrates the experience of African/Black Americans from slavery to living in the capital during the 20th century. While telling the story of Blacks and African Americans, he presents the idea that race and class has heavily shaped DC into the city that we are familiar with today. The author begins by addressing slavery in the district, he articulates that slavery was a part of the daily life in Washington and it defines the nation’s†¦show more content†¦The freemen and their families may have been helped with finding housing, but it was not good housing. A large amount of blacks in DC lived in the â€Å"alleys†, they were dirty, disease infested and they also did not have a sewer line or running water. Lewis suggest that this was because â€Å"White states had rewritten its constitution in 1900 to disenfranchise blacks† (239). In 1901 an Article about the reconstruction of state I the south contributed to the rise of Jim Crow laws and white supremacy. There was also an increase of segregation which was enforced by Woodrow Wilson and his administration, during his presidency he allowed federal departments to be segregated. Lewis states that â€Å"Segregation became the operative method of dealing with Black workers† (273). Wilson created an â€Å" Anti-Black Legislation†(Lewis 273), the policies that his administration created were devastating for almost 100,000 blacks across the nation. Before Wilsons administration Blacks believed that with skills and education they would be able to advance, now blacks could not even receive jobs as clerks or assistants and when they applied to jobs they were forced to send in pictures. The enforcement of segregation and Jim Crow laws and the showing of Birth of a Nation at the White House allowed for the Ku Klux Klan to gain power and violent attacks agains t black and other â€Å"un-Americans† (Lewis 312) becameShow MoreRelatedEssay On How Have We Fail1123 Words   |  5 PagesHow Have We Failed America has been failing to live up to the expectations of its founding fathers since the very beginning. Our founding fathers had envisioned a country that would ensure equality, justice, and liberty for all while carrying out general welfare and ensuring domestic tranquility. It should have been our first and foremost duty to make that vision a reality since these values are the very foundation of America. 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