racial segregation | History, Meaning, Examples, Laws, & Facts

racial segregation, the practice of restricting people to certain circumscribed areas of residence or to separate institutions (e.g., schools, churches) and ... racialsegregation TableofContents racialsegregation Introduction FastFacts RelatedContent Media Images More MoreArticlesOnThisTopic Contributors ArticleHistory Home Lifestyles&SocialIssues Sociology&Society racialsegregation Actions Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/racial-segregation GiveFeedback ExternalWebsites Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites TheCanadianEncyclopedia-RacialSegregationofBlackPeopleinCanada BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. segregation-Children'sEncyclopedia(Ages8-11) segregation-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) Print Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/topic/racial-segregation Feedback ExternalWebsites Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites TheCanadianEncyclopedia-RacialSegregationofBlackPeopleinCanada BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. segregation-Children'sEncyclopedia(Ages8-11) segregation-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) By TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannica • EditHistory TableofContents civilrightsmovement:MarchonWashington Seeallmedia KeyPeople: PatrickDodson GeorgeWallace MorrisonRemickWaite HenryBillingsBrown LemuelShaw ...(Showmore) RelatedTopics: apartheid ghetto redlining township separatebutequal ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ racialsegregation,thepracticeofrestrictingpeopletocertaincircumscribedareasofresidenceortoseparateinstitutions(e.g.,schools,churches)andfacilities(parks,playgrounds,restaurants,restrooms)onthebasisofraceorallegedrace.Racialsegregationprovidesameansofmaintainingtheeconomicadvantagesandsuperiorsocialstatusofthepoliticallydominantgroup,andinrecenttimesithasbeenemployedprimarilybywhitepopulationstomaintaintheirascendancyoverothergroupsbymeansoflegalandsocialcolourbars.Historically,however,variousconquerors—amongthemAsianMongols,AfricanBantus,andAmericanAztecs—practiceddiscriminationinvolvingthesegregationofsubjectraces.segregatedlunchcountersegregatedwatercoolerprotestingracialsegregationracialsegregationRacialsegregationhasappearedinallpartsoftheworldwheretherearemultiracialcommunities,exceptwhereracialamalgamationoccurredonalargescaleasinHawaiiandBrazil.Insuchcountriestherehasbeenoccasionalsocialdiscriminationbutnotlegalsegregation.IntheSouthernstatesoftheUnitedStates,ontheotherhand,legalsegregationinpublicfacilitieswascurrentfromthelate19thcenturyintothe1950s.(SeeJimCrowlaw.)ThecivilrightsmovementwasinitiatedbySouthernBlacksinthe1950sand’60stobreaktheprevailingpatternofracialsegregation.ThismovementspurredpassageoftheCivilRightsActof1964,whichcontainedstrongprovisionsagainstdiscriminationandsegregationinvoting,education,anduseofpublicfacilities. ReadMoreonThisTopic WhatIstheOriginoftheTerm“JimCrow”? FromtheendofReconstructionuntilthe1960s,racialsegregationintheAmericanSouthwasenforcedwithso-calledJim... abeachinapartheid-eraSouthAfricaapartheid-erasignElsewhere,racialsegregationwaspracticedwiththegreatestrigourinSouthAfrica,where,undertheapartheidsystem,itwasanofficialgovernmentpolicyfrom1950untiltheearly1990s.TheEditorsofEncyclopaediaBritannicaThisarticlewasmostrecentlyrevisedandupdatedbyAmyTikkanen.