What were the laws called that enforced segregation of public services by race?

The laws that enforced segregation of public services by race are known as Jim Crow Laws. These laws were enacted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily in Southern states, and established a system of racial segregation in various aspects of public life, including schools, transportation, restrooms, and restaurants. The term "Jim Crow" originates from a blackface minstrel show character and came to symbolize the systematic discrimination and legal racial segregation that persisted for decades.

Jim Crow Laws institutionalized many prejudices and biases that were already present in society, creating legal barriers for African Americans in their pursuit of civil rights and equality. This framework remained largely in place until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, which aimed to dismantle these laws and challenge the inequalities they perpetuated. Understanding Jim Crow Laws is crucial for comprehending the historical context of racial relations in the United States, especially in Virginia and other Southern states, during this period.