Black Lives Matter: African American History
The death of George Floyd is not an isolated event. It is part of a larger pattern of a long and ongoing history of inequities. I hope this article will help you further understand the historical context that shapes racial injustices today.
The Roots of Slavery
After 1619, when a Dutch ship brought 20 Africans ashore at the British colony of Jamestown, Virginia, slavery spread rapidly through the American colonies. The Northern region of America was suited for industries such as fishing and lumber. However, due to the rocky soil, the North wasn’t suited for agriculture. On the other hand, the Southern region had a warm climate, more suitable to grow crops such as cotton and tobacco on plantations.
This economic and geographic difference between the North and the South will incite a Civil War later on.
In 1793, Eli Whitney invented the Cotton Gin, which effectively removed the seeds from the cotton. As a result, there was an explosion in cotton cultivation, creating an insatiable demand for labor, reinforcing the institution of slavery.
The American Civil War
The election of the anti-slavery Republican Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860 served as a catalyst for the civil war, as the South seceded from the Union as the Confederate States of America, under the fear that Lincoln would abolish slavery in the South.
However, Lincoln’s political agenda did not include the intervention of slavery in the South. Instead, Lincoln advocated outlawing the spread of slavery to the West. His primary concern was unifying the nation.
Constitutional Amendments
The Civil War ended with a Union victory.
In 1865, the 13th Amendment was announced, which officially abolished slavery nationwide. In the days of slavery, African Americans were counted as three-fifths, less than one human. But in 1866, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution was announced, which recognized the citizenship of African Americans, granting “equal protection” of the Constitution to people who had been enslaved.
Congress required the southern states to ratify the 14th Amendment and enact universal male suffrage before they could rejoin the Union. In 1870, the 15th amendment was announced, which recognized the voting rights of African Americans.
Although these constitutional amendments were revolutionary, it was short-lived, as discrimination against African Americans persisted in the South after the Civil War.
After the civil war, many of the freedmen were illiterate, couldn’t get any jobs, and were economically vulnerable.
Former confederates worked to reverse the rights that African Americans have achieved through sharecropping and Black codes. Black codes were enacted by Southern whites to limit the elevation of the social status of African Americans by restricting freedom of travel, forcing labor, and even took away their right to vote.
This portrays how the South still viewed African Americans as an inferior race. Reconstruction failed to make fundamental changes to the social fabric of the South.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
On December 1st, 1955, African American Rosa Parks was sitting on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The bus driver ordered Rosa to move to open up seats for white passengers. At that time, bus seats were divided into a “colored section,” and if the seats fill up, African Americans needed to give up their seats to white passengers. Rosa refused to give up her seat, and as a result, the bus driver called the police and arrested Rosa.
The news of Park’s arrest was spread worldwide. Approximately 40,000 people boycotted the bus system the next day, and many refused to use to city bus for over 380 days to protest the bus system’s systemic discrimination.
This boycott sparked the start of a revolution to the civil rights movement, lead by who would be known as Martin Luther King Jr.
“I had been pushed as far as I could stand to be pushed. I had decided that I would have to know once and for all what rights I had as a human being and a citizen.” — Rosa Parks
I Have A Dream Speech
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the March of Washington took place in front of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28th, 1963. More than 200,000 gathered to protest against the economic and political injustices for African Americans.
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the “I Have A Dream” speech, which is one of the most influential speeches alongside Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The speech listed the injustices that African Americans face — segregation, police brutality, and disenfranchisement. Martin Luther King Jr. then proceeds on with the speech voicing his dream:
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
George Floyd
On May 25th, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, George Floyd lost consciousness and died after being pressed to the concrete by a police officer. A video that recorded George Floyd’s final words, “I can’t breathe” circulated on social media the following day.
Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of a former police officer, a Florida man who shot and killed unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012, who was on the way home from a convenience store. The term “Black lives matter” was first used by organizer Alicia Garza in a 2013 Facebook post.
Martin’s death set off nationwide protests like the Million Hoodie March.
George Floyd is just one of the many African Americans killed by police brutality. Although slavery was abolished, racial discrimination against African Americans persists to this day.
Taking Action
Connect with nonprofits and charities to see how you can offer your time or resources to the Black Lives Matter movement. Take the time to read articles, tune into podcasts, or engage in conversations with family and friends to discuss the injustices prevalent in society.
Sources
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Edited by: Aanya Khan, Director of Research Bloggers
