The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Today’s News, Tomorrow’s History
February is Black History Month. This week, The Mini Page looks at some of the people and events that allowed the United States to grow from a society where it was legal to enslave people with dark skin to a country that has elected an African American woman as vice president.
‘All men are created equal’
The United States was founded on the idea of equality. The Declaration of Independence states:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal …”
But in 1776, a lot of people were left out. Women had few rights. Slavery was still legal. And only property-owning men could vote.
And today, almost 250 years later, Black and white people are still struggling to understand the idea of equality and how to achieve it in our country.
Lincoln’s goal
President Abraham Lincoln was determined to end slavery in the United States. Starting in 1862, he built on the Declaration of Independence when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves in Confederate states.
Difficult changes
In 1865, the 13th Amendment officially ended slavery. The 14th Amendment, passed in 1868, granted equal protection to all persons. In 1870, the 15th Amendment banned racial restrictions in voting.
But some people still fought against rights for African Americans. In the South, communities made laws forbidding Black people from using the same restrooms, schools, restaurants or transportation as white people. These were called Jim Crow laws.
Other laws, rules and threats made it impossible for most African Americans to vote.
The work continues
In the 1950s and ’60s, under the leadership of people like Martin Luther King Jr., people of all colors took part in nonviolent protests against discrimination, or unfairness. But many people reacted violently to these protests. It took a lot of courage for people to continue to work for equal rights when they knew it could cost them their jobs or even their lives.
The goal of real equality for all Americans has not yet been met. Changing laws is only one part of the challenge. People also have to work to get rid of prejudice ,or bad feelings against a person or group.
As Dr. King taught, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. If one person’s rights can be taken away, then maybe your rights might be taken away next.