Category Archives: Civil Rights

Civil Rights, Current events, Social justice

The 1619 Project and the Importance of Understanding the Relevance of Chattel Slavery to American History and Current Conditions

Yes, I realize that title is ridiculously long. It is crucial we—the collective cultural “we”—understand the relevance of chattel slavery to where we find ourselves now in America in a cultural sense, because all that we have is built on all that has been, and many Americans from every part of the country, every economic class, and every color have not been taught relevant facts about our history (alternate link).

Our history curricula have neglected and whitewashed critical elements of the context in which events happened, people became notorious or famous, and legislation and court decisions have shaped what was allowed by whom and against whom. This project, by The New York Times Magazine in collaboration with the Smithsonian—the lead essay of which, by project director Nikole Hannah-Jones, won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary—aims to help correct that by filling in gaps in knowledge and understanding of adults and providing new free curriculum for students at all levels, co-developed with the Pulitzer Center, which hosts it.

In response to criticism from historians, The Times updated a sentence in Hannah-Jones’ essay to clarify that, while fear that England was headed toward outlawing slavery was a primary factor driving support for the American Revolution among some colonists, it was not for all colonists. In fact, throughout American history there has been conflict between those Whites who supported slavery, racialized castes, and White supremacy and those who have ardently resisted them.

If you’re a subscriber to the Times, you can read the essays in the 1619 Project and explore its interactive elements here. If not, you can download a PDF file of the full issue of The New York Times Magazine issue containing all the essays from the Pulitzer Center.

The August 18th cover of Times Magazine. Cover by Dannielle Bowman.
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Civil Rights, Current events, Social justice

Portland, Oregon Protesters, Thank You

Not only have the protesters for Black lives in Portland been consistent in showing up, but they are demonstrating effective ways for people to come together and resist authoritarian clampdowns on free speech as well as how White people can be good allies, showing up and using White privilege to protect protesters of color and center their voices. They’re not the first, of course, and many of the strategies they’ve been using—including using leaf blowers to return tear gas to the senders—have come from Hong Kong, in particular, where pro-democracy protesters have been demonstrating in recent years against the might of China.

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Civil Rights, Social justice

Voting Rights, and How Racists Limit Access

When the American Civil War ended, states which had joined the Confederacy were required to accept conditions in order to remove the Union. Included in these conditions were ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the US Constitution, which ended legal slavery except as punishment for a crime; ensured that anyone born within the United States or its territories was a citizen of both the country and the state where they resided; required due process in order to deprive any citizen of life, liberty, or property; required states to allow all citizen men age 21 and up to vote unless convicted of a crime, on penalty of losing representation in Congress; dealt with various matters regarding insurrection (the Confederacy); and prohibited limiting or denying the right to vote on the basis of race, color, “or previous condition of servitude” (enslavement). As you might suspect, states leapt upon those loopholes with enthusiasm.

Thirteenth (13th) Amendment:

13th Amendment text (click to expand)

Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction. [Emphasis added]

Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Fourteenth (14th) Amendment:

14th Amendment text (click to expand)

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. [Emphasis added]

Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State. [Emphasis added]

Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Fifteenth (15th) Amendment:

15th Amendment text (click to expand)
Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. [Emphasis added]

Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

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