- Why do you think Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order”? What special advantages was this choice of words going to give them?
I think Southern racist politicians chose to frame their defense of racial segregation through the language of “law and order” because they knew they would be violating the law if they tried to enforce segregation. Therefore, they shifted their “racist agenda” to “cracking down on crime” so they could shift their rhetoric to criminalizing black and brown people, including all those who sided with the civil rights movement. By criminalizing the actions of civil rights activists and the movement, they arrested those who stood up for civil rights, making the crime rate rise using the idea that integration causes crime. Representative John Bell Williams stated that with the flood of southern blacks moving into cities a “wave of crime” has followed, suggesting that civil rights were not helping those in crime infested areas.
Southern racist politicians purposely chose not to differentiate between civil rights protests, violent riots in inner cities, and “traditional crimes of an economic or violent nature” and grouped them together as “crime in the streets.” By using “law and order” rather than segregation, Southern racist politicians were able to fight against the dismantling of the Jim Crow system because positions taken on crime policies were basically the same as racial ideologies.
2. Do you think the Southern Strategy is still influencing American politics? Give an example supporting your answer.
Yes, I believe the Southern Strategy of increasing political support with white voters in the South while supporting racism against blacks is still influencing American politics. For example, while Trump was president, his controversial and prejudiced rhetoric ignited a rise in racism and hate crimes among the American people. We can also see its influence in sentencing discrimination. For example, if two people commit the same crime, one, usually a person of color, gets 20 years in prison while the other, a white person, gets five years probation. The inequality in sentencing is extremely noticeable.
Hello Mallory. Fantastic use of examples, I think you are absolutely spot on with your explanation of why Southern racist politicians chose to switch to the language of “law and order.” It is disturbing to think of how effective it was to frame not only the civil rights movement but also black and brown people simply trying to live normal lives, as a “wave of crime,” that was destroying cities, and that we continue to be affected by the repercussions to this day. I think you chose a great example for the second question because there was a heavy undertone of racism that instigated hate crimes and active racism in the country during his presidency. Even in more liberal areas like New York, the effects were felt, and I personally am frustrated with how ingrained a concept like the Southern Strategy is in politics to this day.