Jim Crow Laws

"Jim Crow" was an antebellum character in a minstrel show. A white man (Tom "Daddy" Rice) - made up as a black man - incorporated a character called "Jim Crow" into his show in 1832.

Jim Crow sang a song to this music:

Come listen all you galls and boys,

I'm going to sing a little song,

My name is Jim Crow.

Weel about and turn about
And do jis so,
Eb'ry time I weel about
I jump Jim Crow.

Soon the term "Jim Crow" became a euphemism for "Negro."

Then the term "Jim Crow Laws" became a euphemism for legal segregation.