Racism still a problem in the U.S.

Ever since the first slaves arrived in the British North American colonies starting in the mid-17th century, racial issues have permeated the political landscape, the economy and the judicial system of the United States.

When Thomas Jefferson penned the words “all men were created equal,” one doubts that he included his own slaves in that phrase.

When the Constitution was drafted 13 years later, slaves were an important consideration among the delegates to the constitutional convention.

Virginia, a large producer of slaves, wanted the importation of African slaves stopped. South Carolina, Georgia and the territories beyond wanted just the opposite since they needed labour to harvest their crops and especially cotton.

When it came to determining the number of seats assigned to each state in the House of Representatives, a compromise to keep the southern states in the union counted a slave as equal to three-fifths of a white person.

In the 19th century, three developments were paramount in limiting prospects for slaves and their descendants.

First, before emancipation, runaway slaves, if found — no matter where — had to be returned to their owners.

This treatment of escaping slaves fuelled the abolitionist movement.

After the triumph of the northern states and the emancipation of all slaves, the post-Civil War south saw the founding of the Ku Klux Klan.

Eventually the decision by the Supreme Court in 1896 in the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson established the doctrine of “separate but equal” thereby making discrimination against blacks the law of the land.

Then, early in the 20th century, the National Association of Colored People was formed as a bi-racial organization to advance justice for African Americans.

Later in the century and particularly after the Second World War, blacks migrated in massive numbers northward to the industrial heartland of America where some found economic opportunity, but many encountered discrimination as entrenched as that in the south.

In 1956, the case of Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka overturned “separate but equal” and paved the way for the civil rights movement headed by Dr. Martin Luther King.

Since then, while the courts have generally upheld the advances made by blacks, the progress has been in fits and starts.

When the Civil Rights Act was passed and signed by Lyndon Johnston in 1964, he remarked that it meant the ending of the Democrats’ reign in the American south and indeed, since that time the south has voted solidly in favour of the Republicans. Many observers detect subtle forms of racism in many of the political statements of current day Republican leaders.

In the more than 150 years since their emancipation, American blacks have come a long way, even seeing an African American elected President.

Yet racially-based discrimination persists and in much of the country, they are still treated as second-class citizens.

It is, therefore, not surprising that many blacks resent this discrimination and don’t necessarily see the United States as the “land of the free” offering “justice for all.”

Indeed young blacks are becoming militant in protesting blatant discrimination just as their parents did in the 1960s.

Which brings us to the case of Colin Kaepernick, the black NFL player who refused to stand for the playing of the national anthem as a show of protest against systemic racism and police brutality towards blacks.

President Trump who continually plays the racist card in his speeches and actions (while denying he does so) saw this an irresistible opportunity to play to his base.

He saw that he could wrap himself in the flag and patriotism and denounce Kaepernick while effectively putting down blacks.

Recall that Trump launched his bid for the presidency contending loudly and without basis in fact that President Obama was not born in America.

Trump’s crazed Twitter campaign against NFL athletes is just more of the same.

The Great Republic has fallen very low indeed.

David Bond is an author and retired bank economist. Email: curmudgeon@harumpf.com.