| In this series of articles, I will attempt to relate the | | | | of Independence's author Thomas Jefferson owned |
| conditions which led to the racism that was so | | | | plantations, keeping many black slaves. Jefferson even |
| prevalent in the America South during the 1960s, which | | | | "used" a black mistress, fathering several children with |
| led to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s successful attempts | | | | her, whose descendants survive to present times. |
| to combat racial segregation by basing his program in | | | | Howsoever, American slavery actually began in 1619, a |
| Birmingham, Alabama. Although he was finally | | | | few years after the foundation of the first English |
| assassinated in Tennessee, Alabama was truly his | | | | colony in Virginia. It ended officially in 1865 with the |
| base of operations for his program of marches and | | | | passage of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. |
| protests throughout the 1960s. | | | | Constitution. It didn't end with the signing of the |
| What really polarized America, creating the conditions | | | | Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham |
| that fostered the extreme, perverse, and as yet | | | | Lincoln, as many people think, on New Year's Day in |
| abiding racism of the Deep South? What forces made | | | | 1863. Dr. King stated that Lincoln was averse to ending |
| the divisive split between the North and the South | | | | slavery at first, being unsure that he could manage to |
| happen, before, during and after the Civil War? What | | | | persuade the southern states into following abolition - |
| caused the conditions leading to extreme racial | | | | which meant total abolishment of slavery practices. |
| segregation in the Deep South, plus of course the | | | | These involved the keeping of black people as |
| ideology, life, career and eventual assassination of Dr. | | | | physical property, otherwise called "chattel slavery," |
| Martin Luther King, Jr.? And why was a deeply religious | | | | where they were to be eternally held against their will, |
| man so political and so close to the Presidency, when | | | | and bred as servants, lackeys and field labor in |
| the separation of church and state would be very | | | | plantations and farms owned mostly by white people. |
| likely to keep him away from that prestigious office? | | | | Lincoln was quite correct; the South remained |
| American Slavery - Beginnings in 1619 | | | | adamantly opposed to the death of slavery, to the |
| The Biblically ancient institution of slavery is sadly | | | | point where some stubborn white people are trying to |
| worldwide, going well beyond the United States. It is | | | | reinstitute it nowadays. |
| basically a social and economic system under which | | | | For example, there was the white southern bus driver |
| the people known as slaves are deprived of their | | | | who tried recently to get black kids to ride in the backs |
| freedom, and indefinitely condemned to performing | | | | of their school buses. Fortunately, that fell through, and |
| free services for the people known as their masters, | | | | she was fired. The Louisiana school district suspended |
| who own them as property. They are usually not | | | | her while it investigated the complaint that she ordered |
| allowed any personal liberties, being entirely subject to | | | | nine black children to sit in the back of the school bus |
| the whims of their masters, and are driven into | | | | she was driving. Two black mothers sparked the |
| oppression and hard-pressed circumstances. | | | | complaint, saying that this bus driver had let white |
| It's not a Sunday picnic, nor is it a lifestyle anyone | | | | students have their own seats - while black students |
| would choose. Nathan Hale, one of our nation's | | | | were forced to stand or even sit in other student's |
| founding fathers, put it this way: "Give me liberty or | | | | laps. |
| give me death." He really meant that, as he said it | | | | Read the next article in this series, "American Slavery - |
| before he was hanged to death for opposing the | | | | Continuing History" and the other articles in this long |
| colonial British. But his kind was also often slave | | | | article series about why racism was and is so |
| owners. For example, both our first President George | | | | prevalent in the American South. |
| Washington and our third President and the Declaration | | | | |