2. Black Codes and Vagrancy Laws
After the Civil War, Southern states enacted Black Codes and vagrancy laws that severely restricted the freedom of newly emancipated Black people. Police strictly enforced these laws, which criminalized everyday activities like unemployment or loitering, making it easy to arrest and control Black citizens. This legal framework perpetuated racial subjugation well beyond slavery, as History.com explains, embedding racial control into the heart of the American justice system.
