Blackanwite Puzzle

1830s-1950s
Dexterity puzzle (metal, paper, unknown materials)

The Blackanwite Puzzle declares, “Get the black balls on one side and the white on the other,” inviting players to separate tiny colored balls. This double-sided puzzle mirrors racist ideas and segregationist policies enforced by the Jim Crow laws between 1877 and 1950. In 1883 the Supreme Court overturned portions of the Civil Rights Act of 1875, opening the way for states to pass laws requiring separation of black and white passengers in public facilities and transportation.