Author: Annette Gordon-Reed
Affiliation: Harvard University
Organization/Publisher: Foreign Affairs
Date/Place: Jan-Feb, 2018/USA
Type of Literature: Analysis
Word Count: 5369
Link: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2017-12-12/americas-original-sin
Keywords: Black Americans, White Supremacy, Slavery
Editor’s Note: Although first published in 2018, the article remains relevant and in light of current events is deemed important enough to be covered and included in this issue.
Brief:
The United States Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal,” with “unalienable Rights” to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” These words were written by Thomas Jefferson, a slave owner and later one of the authors of the United States Constitution which unlike the Declaration of Independence is contaminated with provisions protecting the institution of slavery. Jefferson, in order to unite the colonies under a single authority, compromised and enabled slavery to persist under legal protections. Legal historian Annette Gordon-Reed says that American slavery was tied inexorably to White dominance. The legacy of slavery is deeply rooted in the history of America. The African descendants suffered with White dominance enabled by racially-based slavery which was also reflected in American attitudes; rather than being a contradiction in a country of European immigrants to North America that prided itself on freedom, keeping Blacks outside of the society made the freedom of White people possible. The historian David Blight has pronounced that the post–Civil War desire for reconciliation between White Northerners and White Southerners left African Americans behind, in ways that continue to shape American society. The history of the South’s monopoly and White supremacy with racial hierarchy could be seen in 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution which give full citizenship rights to Blacks. The history of slaves from their perspective is missing in US discourses. In addition to this, the Black American contribution to economic gains are considerably high, yet the economic gains couldn’t change their de-facto segregation. Despite the election and re-election of a Black president, the general acceptability of police brutality with racialized law enforcement tactics have shown that Constitutional protections do not apply with equal force to Black Americans.
By: Maryam Khan, CIGA Research Associate
