Black Codes In South Re-Establish Slavery

Most people think enslaved Africans were brought to Americas mostly to pick cotton. This is not true. The vast majority - nearly 70 percent -of the 12 million Africans stolen from Africa and who survived the Middle Passage worked on sugar cane plantations -- in South America, the Caribbean and the U. S. --Louisiana, Texas (through Galveston) and across the South.

“Crafted to ensnare Black people and return them to chains, these laws were effective; for the first time in U.S. history, many state penal systems held more Black prisoners than white – all of -whom could be leased for profit.”
– Equal Justice Initiative

How Could This Happen:

The 13th Amendment, which is thought to have ended slavery, has a key loophole: Slavery is abolished “except as a punishment for a crime…”
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Be convicted of a crime = You can be enslaved. The loophole exists today

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Fast Fact

Black Codes were repealed in 1866 when Reconstruction began and African Americans gained political power. However, hey evolved into restrictive JIM CROW laws once Reconstruction officially ended in 1877.

Educate. Honor. Heal. The Society of Justice & Equality for the People of Sugar Land (S.O.J.E.S.) is an independent, non-profit community organization dedicated to historic preservation and educating the community about the contributions of African Americans in the creation and progression of Sugar Land and Fort Bend County, Texas. This includes commemorating and memorializing the Sugar Land 95. sojesjustice.org

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