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The Jim Crow Debate

Oct. 19 - States used them to enforce segregation: so-called "Jim Crow" laws. Laws like this one that required bus stations to have separate waiting areas for blacks and whites. Or the one which prohibited restaurant servers from serving someone outside their own race.

But public segregation has ended. Even so, some "Jim Crow" laws still sit on the books in several states. That includes Alabama.

On November 2nd Alabama voters will see "Amendment 2" on their ballots. It seeks to remove 3 pieces of "Jim Crow" language from the state constitution. Those include a requirement for separate schools for white and colored children. A requirement for a poll tax. And language that specifies publicly-funded education is not a right of citizenship.

Many people don't know about Jim Crow Laws. But after explaining the issue... "If it meant pleasing or helping someone feel less-offended then I think we should do whatever it takes to rid our state of that."

"I think it should be taken out of the books."

"I think he should take them off, they old and we don't abide by them anymore." ,

Governor Riley wants the language removed. He and others believe it will help the state's image.

Conservatives like Judge Roy Moore believes removing the education language would necessitate a state-wide tax increase.

State Attorney General Troy King offered his thoughts, "I certainly think it's important to take the wrong messages and dead language out of our constitution."