Jim Crow Laws Were Abolished 60 Years Ago, Black Democrats Need To Stop Using It To Justify Their Racism

The DOJ is investigating the city of Chicago’s hiring practices to determine whether, under Mayor Brandon Johnson, the city has engaged in "a pattern or practice of racial discrimination" in its hiring practices.

Johnson essentially brought the investigation upon himself by bragging about the number of blacks the city has hired. The controversy revolves around his comments on Sunday at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn. While addressing the predominantly black congregation, Johnson highlighted the black officials who are part of his administration.

Among the statements that drew the Justice Department’s attention, according to a letter sent to Johnson by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, are:

“The Business and Economic Neighborhood Development, the deputy mayor is a black woman, the Department of Planning and Development is a black woman, the infrastructure, deputy mayor is a black woman, the Chief operations officer is a black man, the Budget director is a black woman, and the Senior advisor is a black man.”

White House Senior Policy Strategist May Mailman highlighted an important point:

"It appears as though the mayor is hiring on the basis not of who’s going to improve the schools, who’s going to be the most efficient for the taxpayer, but based on race."

During his weekly media briefing on Tuesday morning, the mayor strongly criticized the Trump administration, describing it as representative of "the country club." He also condemned suggestions that he has hired black candidates or other minority individuals for city positions solely based on their race.

“I’m very proud of the fact that we have one of the most, if not the most diverse administration in the history of Chicago. What’s clear is that not only does the Trump administration not respect the rule of law or what’s sensible about our society, you would be hard-pressed to find qualified officials who are in his administration. My administration reflects the country reflects the city. His administration reflects the country club.”

Johnson added that his administration would:

“Remain firm and steadfast in our commitment to ensure that the incredible, diverse talent in our administration continues to lead us toward the safest, most affordable big city in America. We’re not going to shy away or apologize for who we are.”

“It’s clear that the Trump administration does not respect the rule of law. It’s also clear that the Trump administration is more interested in creating division within our country, while we are being inclusive.”

Of course, if Johnson’s excuse weren’t so detrimental to the city and its taxpayers, it would be laughable. Johnson, like far too many black politicians, has a chip on his shoulder when it comes to hiring. They believe that they must correct both perceived and legitimate wrongs of the past with their hiring practices in the present.

The problem with that attitude is that it reflects a vengeful spirit rather than common sense. By hiring only based on skin color and not merit, Johnson is repeating the same wrongs of the past in the present day.

In his Sunday conversation with Pastor Dr. Byron T. Brazier, Johnson spoke of the increased diversity in his administration compared to his predecessors.

However, IMHO, Johnson’s comments only confirm how blatantly racist the hirings are. Here’s what he had to say.

“There are some detractors who will push back on me and say, ‘You know, the only thing the mayor talks about is the hiring of black people.’ No. What I’m saying is when you hire our people, we always look out for everybody else. We are the most generous people on the planet.”

“I’m laying that out because when you ask how do we ensure that our people get a chance to grow their business, having people in my administration that will look out for the interest of everyone —and everyone means you have to look out for the interest of black folks, because that hasn’t happened —that’s how we ensure long-term sustainable growth.”

We?

Everyone?

“And everyone means you have to look out for the interest of black folks, because that hasn’t happened —that’s how we ensure long-term sustainable growth.”

Huh? You sustain long-term sustainable growth by looking out for only black people?

The comments sparked a significant backlash on social media, drawing the attention of conservative commentators and media outlets. This response prompted justice officials to investigate whether the Johnson administration may have violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In the letter, the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department states:

“When the Attorney General has reasonable cause to believe that a state or local government employer is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination in violation of Title VII, it is the Attorney General’s responsibility to take appropriate action to eliminate the violation, including seeking injunctive relief.”

“Our investigation is based on information suggesting you made hiring decisions solely on the basis of race.”

In response to WGN News' request for a comment, the mayor's office released a statement on Monday:

“Mayor Johnson is proud to have the most diverse administration in the history of our city. Our administration reflects the diversity and values of Chicago. Unfortunately, the current federal administration does not reflect either. We are aware of the letter issued by the Department of Justice, but are awaiting the official receipt of the letter. Our Corporation Counsel will review it at that time.”

Ald. Ray Lopez (15th Ward), a frequent critic of the mayor, stated that the DOJ investigation could have been avoided.

“The mayor literally just gave Donald Trump yet another political gift here to use against the City of Chicago with regards to his remarks. I think that he’s definitely opened us up to some interpretations of the law.”

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates, who is also black, issued a strong statement on Tuesday morning condemning the investigation into the city’s hiring practices as a “Jim Crow DOJ investigation.”

Gates’ statement reads:

“The president who sees no problem allegedly assaulting women or publicly accepting bribes is using the division of government meant to protect our civil rights to police black public servants instead.

“The families black Chicagoans come from didn’t flee the Jim Crow South to have a White House reinstate it in 2025 nationwide.

“People of our city no matter their race should be proud of the progress this administration has made in crafting a representative government instead of one built on patronage or corporate influence.

“It’s obvious that those who attack black excellence do so because they pale in comparison.

Jim Crow and the Klan ended our country’s first reconstruction. Reagan and the backlash reacted to the second. Our generation is being tasked with leading the third reconstruction, and Donald Trump and his cronies will not be the ones to turn us back now.”

Since Gates is the President of the Chicago Teachers’ Union, whoever hired her owes the city an apology. Someone needs to educate her about history. Jim Crow was not an actual person but rather a fictional character and a symbol. The term "Jim Crow" originated from a minstrel show character created by Thomas "Daddy" Rice in the early 19th century. 

This character was a caricature of a Black man and was portrayed in blackface performances. Over time, the term "Jim Crow" became synonymous with the system of racial segregation and discrimination in the South, known as Jim Crow laws.

After the Civil War, the Democratic Party in the South became strongly linked to Jim Crow laws and the denial of full rights for African Americans. Southern Democrats, in an effort to maintain white supremacy, implemented these laws that enforced segregation and racial discrimination. Although the Democratic Party was not explicitly established as "Jim Crow," it became the political home for many white Southerners who supported these policies and played a key role in enacting and enforcing them.

Gates needs to understand that “Jim Crow Laws” were about segregation and limitation. The Democrats at that time discriminated against blacks solely based on their skin color. Those wrongs were legally overturned in 1965, which was 60 years ago, so duplicating that type of discrimination in hiring practices at this time shows a complete lack of understanding of what was done.

George Santayana said:

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".

Welcome to Chicago and the Brandon Johnson administration, circa 2025.