October 20, 2021
Like so many things in our nation’s history, this is rooted in 1619. From the very moment that Africans were forced to come to the colonies in North America, Black Americans were put on a path to have to fight each and every day to hold our nation accountable to the words of our Declaration of Independence — “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
This struggle is far from over. It touches all parts of our society and is likely coming to a school board meeting or classroom library near you.
Black Americans were never seen as equal. Three-fifths of a person was the compromise that white men decided would best serve their interests. And the fight for freedom and equality has now passed through generations. A quick glance at the news or your social media accounts and you can see that this struggle is far from over. It touches all parts of our society and is likely coming to a school board meeting or classroom library near you.
BOOK BANS ARE NOTHING NEW
One of the more despicable ways that our nation used to keep power over those who they believed should always be enslaved, was to ban anyone from teaching a free person of color or a slave to read, write or spell. This movement to deny literacy and education for Black Americans was taken to new levels across the South after Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in August of 1831. It still lingers with us today.
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