Activists are warning of a return to the Jim Crow era in America. But who or what was Jim Crow?

Protesters at a May Day parade, New York, circa 1947. European/FPG/Archive Photos/Getty Images

Since becoming president, Donald Trump has issued a record number of executive orders. Several aim to dismantle federally funded initiatives based on the idea that “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) are goals worth achieving.

In response, many commentators have warned Trump may be dragging the United States back to the dark days of the “pre-civil rights” Jim Crow era.