HISTORY + CULTURE

Why Was “Passing For White” So Popular During Jim Crow?

The benefits afforded to White people and the dangers of being Black created a perfect storm.

A portrait of a woman with curly brown hair and eyes | Photo by Morteza Khobzi via Pexels

To understand the tradition of “passing for white,” you have to walk a mile in Black Americans’ shoes. That’s the only way the practice of race-swapping will make sense. In this case, that requires considering what life was like for them during the Jim Crow era (1877–1964). Southern states passed black codes authorizing racial segregation and discrimination in their jurisdiction. They cast Black people as second-class citizens and deprived them of equal rights. And access to opportunities. Even outside this formal system, they endured racism from White citizens. One such example would be the prevalence of racial terror lynchings. These extrajudicial killings became commonplace, so much so that any interracial interaction could end in calamity.

For instance, the tragic story of Henry Patterson, a Black construction worker. On May 11, 1926, he was completing road work in LaBelle, Florida. The 22-year-old became thirsty and approached Hattie Crawford, a White woman, to ask for water. But as he came, she ran away, screaming. Neighbors, driven by prejudice, assumed he assaulted her. Faced with this false accusation, he…