Africa-America Public Policy Matters

Student’s Name

Institution

Africa-America Public Policy Matters

The story regarding Africa-American and their affiliation with the South American and the rest of the world is fundamental and significant to the America’s history up to date. Between the years 1870 to 1920, there was considerable experience concerning the Africa-America policy matters. The significant policies during this period include the Reconstruction Amendments, the season of hope, the “Exodusters,” disfranchisement and segregation. In this essay, the mentioned above policies as well as the role of terrorism, Supreme Court, national and regional leaders during the era will be discussed into a profound extent.

After the victory by North during the civil war, lots of questions raised regarding the Africa-American and the Confederate States Among these most questioned matter considered the position of the ex-slaves in the society and the standing of the defeated ex-Confederate states in the Union. The thirteenth, fourteenth, and the fifteenth Reconstruction Amendments to the constitution correctly answers the previous queries. The Thirteenth Amendment was proposed in 1864 and approved in 1865. It concerns the abolishment of slavery, and unwilling bondage apart from those found guilty of a crime according to the law. The fourteenth Amendment regards the equal protection of laws for all civilians as well as the rights of citizens. It was anticipated in 1866 and authorized in 1868. The Fifteenth Amendment was proposed in 1869 an approved in 1870. It addresses prohibition of discrimination of citizens’ rights to vote regardless of the prior servitude status, color and race (Hobbs, 2014). The three above Amendments did not address discrimination in regards to sex basis. However, this is addressed on the Nineteenth Amendment which was approved in 1920.

The “season of hope” during 1870 to 1920 oversees the future of Africa-Americans in the nation which was signified by some progress. They come out from the old techniques of supervised slavery and overstretched plantation owners to adopt personal family cultivation. The Fifteenth Amendment which granted the right to vote continued to be adhered to and some blacks could even hold office years later after reconstruction. The “Exoduster” movement was on the positive association of Africa-Americans towards Kansas from the South. Benjamin Singleton, who was a freedman from Tennessee played a significant role in planning the unexpected movement.

Disfranchisement and segregation were the techniques used by the Southern states to pass laws which were made to impose white supremacy. This refers to the act of outlawing Africans’ rights to vote and racial separation following the disappointment of the Lodge Force Bill. Disfranchisement was the first to be implemented through literacy test and beginning tax poll towards the blacks. The Supreme Court supported the mentioned states laws claiming that there was no prescribed race. Hence they did not violate the law. After the freeing of Africa-Americans from the voters’ list, the states had the mandate to do whatever they want with them. The states preferred segregation laws which did not only separate blacks in racial basis but also from access to necessities in life such as healthcare, education, housing and employment (Elliott & Kelley 2016).

The Supreme Court played a part in supporting the federal states through authorization of Disfranchisement which left the Africa-America well-being at threat during this era. Terrorism was commonly done through vigilante executions. They were a collective way of carrying out white supremacy on the local level by white multitudes responding to an apparent violation of ethnic customs. Terrorism in the form of racial-riot played a significant role in manifesting violence towards Africa-Americans. Various regional leaders such as Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois played an essential role in advocating accommodation to separation and Africa-America rights in regards to equality and incorporation into the convention of American life.

In the 1910s, the Africa-Americans were better off compared to the 1870s and 1880s because their rights regarding voting bun, segregation and disfranchisement had been reprimanded (Tapscott, 2007). They had also had access to the vital services and opportunities such as healthcare, education and employment which was not the case during the 1870s and 1880s.

References

Elliott, M., & Kelley, B. M. (2016). Entries 222 was the states’ power to define citizens by color.“There is no caste here,” Justice John Marshall Harlan wrote in dissent.“Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens.” Blacks hoped that Harlan’s view would prevail someday. The Cambridge Guide to African American History, 221.

Hobbs, A. (2014). A chosen exile: a history of racial passing in American life. Harvard University Press.

Tapscott, C. (2007). The challenges of building participatory local government. Participatory governance, 81-95.