Few realize how critical dress was in establishing and maintaining the social order of the South. The Jim Crow system was built upon a hierarchy that placed wealthy whites at the top. They portrayed their status through their clothing. African Americans who dressed in fine wears were accused of not ‘knowing their place,’ thinking they were equal to middle-class whites and better than working-class whites. The punishment for such an “offense” was often a beating, or even murder.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 23:06:57 +0000