Equality Equation releases first video blog of a series entitled "Animating Systemic Racism"
WASHINGTON, May 15, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As we move into an era of resolution, we think it is important to qualify the understanding that racism, systemic or otherwise, has resulted in a wealth disparity, which created a number of historical challenges for blighted and distressed communities. In order to do so, we have to outline the events that were the catalysts for the systems of poverty that poor people continue to live in today.
In this article, we will outline the event that we believe lead to the adverse conditions that poor white and poor black people live in currently. This series of articles, "Animating Systemic Racism", is intended to be a reference for the historical data that supports the notion of systemic racism.
The Compromise of 1877 was a political deal that ended the Reconstruction Era in the United States. It marked the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, which allowed Southern states to impose laws that restricted the rights of African Americans. The Compromise set the stage for the creation of a permanent slave class through the use of the 13th Amendment, Black Codes, Redeemer's Rules, and Jim Crow laws, which led to several massacres of blacks in America, including the Wilmington Massacre in 1898 and the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921.
The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution ratified in 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime. However, Southern states found ways to exploit this exception to maintain a slave-like system. They passed Black Codes, which allowed them to arrest and imprison African Americans for minor offenses, such as vagrancy, and then lease them out to plantation owners and other employers. This practice, known as convict leasing, provided a cheap and abundant source of labor for Southern industries and perpetuated a system of economic exploitation that resembled slavery.
The Redeemer's Rules, which were put in place after the Compromise of 1877, was a set of laws designed to disenfranchise African Americans and consolidate white political power. They included literacy tests, poll taxes, and other requirements that effectively prevented black people from voting. This allowed white supremacist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, to terrorize black communities with impunity, knowing that they would not be held accountable by elected officials.
Jim Crow laws, which were enacted in the late 1800s and early 1900s, were a set of state and local laws that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans. These laws mandated separate schools, hospitals, and public accommodations for whites and blacks, and denied African Americans the right to vote, serve on juries, or hold public office. They also perpetuated a system of economic exploitation that kept African Americans in poverty and prevented them from achieving social and economic mobility.
The Wilmington Massacre of 1898 was an example of the violence that could result from these laws. It was a coup d'état carried out by white supremacists who overthrew the elected government of Wilmington, North Carolina, and murdered dozens of black citizens. The violence was sparked by a white supremacist newspaper that printed false stories about black men assaulting white women, which led to a wave of fear and hysteria among white residents. The coup resulted in the establishment of a white supremacist government that remained in power for decades.
The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 was another example of the violence that resulted from these laws. It was a race riot that occurred in Tulsa, Oklahoma when a white mob attacked the city's thriving black community, known as Greenwood. The mob burned down homes and businesses, killed hundreds of people, and left thousands homeless.
The violence was sparked by a false accusation of a black man assaulting a white woman, which led to a wave of fear and hysteria among white residents.
These massacres were not isolated incidents, but rather the result of Redeemer's Rules that were fueled by the Compromise of 1877.
It created a system of laws and policies that perpetuated racial inequality and discrimination. They were the product of a political system that allowed white supremacists to gain and maintain power, and a legal system that denied African Americans their basic rights and protections. The legacy of this system is still felt today, as racial inequality and discrimination continue to be major issues in American society.
Media Contact
Pless Jones Jr, Equality Equation, 1 4434632003, [email protected]
SOURCE Equality Equation
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