The concepts of segregation in education is demonstrated particularly well in The Invisible Man, where Ralph Ellison describes the main character, I.M., and in the early chapters, his experiences at an all-African American university. When describing the statue of the university’s founder, a symbol for the university as a whole, Ellison writes

“I am standing puzzled, unable to decide whether the veil is really being lifted, or lowered more firmly in place”(Ellison 36).

This describes how these institutions were often used less to enrich and help people of color, and instead were utilized to keep them down, often offering a lower quality education than white schools and universities.

These practices of segregation continued under legal protection up until 1954, where the Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education that the practice of “Separate but Equal” segregation was unconstitutional in the context of education. This decision set the groundwork for the eventual integration process, as segregation and the concept of being “Separate but Equal” was seen as the thinly veiled disguise for racist separation that it was.

_{To learn more about the specific functions of segregation, particularly in education, as well as the events of the Brown v. Board of Educationcourt case, look into the book Desegregating Schools: Brown v. Board of Education, by John Torres.}

#SeparateAndUnequal

specific instances of Micro-Aggressions are shown in The Invisible Man, where stereotypes relating to race. After I.M. meets with the brotherhood, a group of communist extremists looking for his help to push forward their cause, he is approached by a drunk man who asks him:

"How about a spiritual, Brother? Or one of those real good ole Negro work songs?"(Ellison 312).

This exchange demonstrates how a simple gesture, like asking someone to sing a spiritual, can often have racist intent or meaning behind it, inferring that all African Americans sing spirituals or work songs.

While the nature and intent of some things considered to be micro aggressions is often debated, they are generally regarded as harmful behaviors that, whether intentionally or not, reinforce racial disparities and stereotypes in society.

^{A helpful resource to understand the use and impact of micro-aggressions is the linked article by the American Psychological Association, which defines what micro-aggressions are, and how harmful they can be.}

These issues plagued the justice system for many decades even after the abolition of Jim Crow laws, and continued to harm people of color, some say to this day.

Alongside these statistical results came many personal perspectives and experiences regarding race, with some of the most impactful being personal experiences with racial bias or racist language in our schools. One respondent wrote “you can literally be existing and someone will call you a slur of some sort.”

These responses provide an insight into the mindset many hold about racism in the modern day, with many still recognizing that there are racial biases and inequalities in our society that come from mindset and government structure, rather than specific laws and violent actions.

^{To see a full list of data, a spreadsheet of results can be found in the work cited page, albeit with the text responses and personal writings removed.}

They were effectively the Jim Crow laws of the North, segregating communities and limiting civil rights for Black Americans.

_{The attached documentary by Minnesota experience covers these racial covenants, as well as other aspects of Jim Crow laws, and the racially divided culture of the so called “Free North”.}

This flourishing movement came about in the early to mid 1920’s, seen most commonly in the urban north, in districts and neighborhoods that were predominantly made up of African Americans, such as the Harlem district of New York City.

These laws continued to impact people of color from the late 1800’s into the early mid 1900’s, with there legality being reinforced by the Supreme Court case, as in 1896 the Supreme Court ruled in the Plessy V. Ferguson that these laws were not a violation of the 14th amendment, under the description of being “Seperate but Equal”.