Jim Crow laws were a set of state and local laws in the United States enacted primarily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These laws enforced racial segregation and discrimination, particularly against African Americans, in public facilities, transportation, schools, housing, and various other aspects of life. Named after a stereotypical minstrel character, Jim Crow laws legalized racial segregation and reinforced white supremacy, effectively institutionalizing racial discrimination in the Southern states and, to a lesser extent, in other parts of the country. These laws remained in effect until they were gradually dismantled through the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, and were eventually declared unconstitutional by various Supreme Court decisions.
