Jim Crow Laws

The following reading entitled "The Ethics of Living Jim Crow", An Autobiographical sketch by Richard Wright talks about his experiences during the Jim Crow laws. He experienced great racism and in many instances had to take much of the abuse from his co-workers and other authority figures because he did not want to get fired from his jobs. He had to give in to the white man because the laws did not favor blacks. Richard could not educate himself because if he tried to he would be challenging the white man which was forbidden under the Jim Crow laws. He witnessed many injustices against people of his own race and had to keep quiet because that would jeopardize his status in the workforce.
The author first talks about how his mother was so disgusted with his behavior over him getting in fights with white boys, she severely beat him. She wanted him to realize that you don't do anything to jeopardize her status of making a living. He learned another lesson when it came to his first job. In that job he became very ambitious and wanted to do his job to the best of his abilities. The taking on of more responsibilities was what he wanted to accomplish. When he did this Morrie, and Pease guys he worked with became extremely angry and threatened to beat him up. Also they were upset with the fact that Richard did not call Pease, Mr. Pease and they were going to beat him if he did not admit he was wrong. He would because of this situation leave his job. At his next job he witnessed a women getting beaten up by her bosses because she didn't pay her bills. The two men gave Richard a cigarette to shut him up and turn a blind eye to the situation. When Richard bike was which hit him with a beer bottle. He was also integrated by police when he would come home from work late at night.
Was Richard right in turning a blind eye to the injustices that were around him? Richard at the time could not have done anything else but take the abuse. He had to survive in the world and needed those jobs to support himself. Richard did feel bad about the racism that went on but he was taught at very early age to turn a blind eye to the racism he experienced because you need to think of survival and think of ways to support yourself financially.
Richard showed incredible strength during this period of time in history. The amount of racism he experienced and saw around him was extraordinary. Their were times where I bet he wanted to fight back but could not because he was in fear of his life and knew the money he was making would only be granted to him through the white man. He learned through his many experiences not to challenge the white man because he was the authority figure. Richard Wright ought to be commended for sharing his stories because it gave me some great insights to what he went through.