They Were Stamped From the Beginning:
In 1619, “twenty and odd” Africans stepped off of the Portugese ship the São João Bautista onto the soil of Jamestown, Virginia. Though they were initally treated as indentured servents, as were many Whites that crossed the Atlantic, these Africans were soon forced into a system of chattel slavery simply due to the color of their skin.
((Caption in Image) - Courtesy of Encyclopedia Virginia)
The efficency of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin led to an expansion of the institution of slavery and subsequently the preservation of the subordinate status of African Americans. This amplification fueled the embedment of racist theory in American ideology.
"I will say, finally, that I despair of the republic while slavery exists therein."
- William Garrison, Abolitionist, 1829
America Reconstructs:
After a war that tore America apart, slavery was legally abolished and African Americans achieved the right of citizenship and the vote. Groups like the Ku Klux Klan, however, terrorized the Black populace and demonstrated that there was still widespread opposition to their equality. Even though legislatively American society was progressing, racist undertones still existed, presenting a barrier for full Black integration.
"A Less Perfect Union..." - Courtesy of the New York Times