Did anyone ever break the Jim crow laws?

Answer 1

Yes, but those who were caught usually got punished. The majority of black people in the south seemed resigned to segregation, since they had little political power and were unable to change the system that kept them in a subordinate position. So, even if they were greatly inconvenienced by the Jim Crow laws (laws that kept them out of "whites only" hotels, department stores, restaurants, and universities), the majority did not actively protest or call attention to their displeasure, for fear of being arrested and branded as trouble-makers.

Some very light-skinned blacks in the south tried to "pass" for white, with varying degrees of success. A few did in fact live in white society and fool everyone. But most blacks in the Jim Crow south were not able to get away with this kind of subterfuge. We know about some black lawyers who tried to find legal means for getting the segregation laws overturned, but this was generally unsuccessful until well into the Civil Rights era (1950s).

Answer 2

Yes, many people and civil rights activists fought against and challenged Jim Crow laws in various ways. Examples include Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the sit-ins led by African American college students, and the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, which led to the desegregation of public schools. These efforts played a significant role in ending institutionalized segregation in the United States.