Answer:
because white Americans thought that African american didn't deserve the right to vote for things because they were black and had a different skin color than white. also they treated African American horribly by spraying them harshly with firehydrant water. Yelling at them in streets. keeping them from going into places that White American went into. or having separated places for blacks and white on busses, restaurants, theaters, they even went to the extent of putting signs up on their doors and windows of shops and bathrooms even water fountains saying that only Whites could use or go in those places...and almost all were discriminated against keeping them away from jobs and rights they deserved.
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