The U.S. Constitution: Racism Then and Now
When the famous words of “We the People” were written into the U.S. Constitution it clearly only meant white men with property. This fact was reinforced by the Convention of 1787, which said that African Americans were only 3/5th of a human being. I once heard a man claim that the 3/5th Clause had little or nothing to do with racist ideology. It was apparent to me that this professor had it all wrong in a number of ways. The 3/5th Clause was written into the constitution as a compromise between the free states and the slave states. My argument in this discussion was that the U.S. Constitution was a racist document for it reduced African Americans to 3/5th of a human being. “Not so!” raged the fellow. “It was just a way to give the South less power in the Congress by not letting them count slaves as a whole person. It actually gave the slave owners more power!
Carter G Woodson said, in his great work “The Negro in Our History,” that there was a compromise, but at the expense of the slave. Woodson said, “They finally compromised by providing for the representation of the States by two Senators from each, and for the representation of the people in the House by counting all whites, and five Negroes as three whites.” Out of the 3/5th Compromise the Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 was passed, which allowed the South to maintain the numbers it needed to keep the seats it held in the Congress while denying African Americans their rights as human beings. The North, as indicated by its willingness to compromise with the slavers in the South, proved beyond any debate that the U.S. Constitution was a racist document when it was conceived.
After the Civil War, because white supremacy has been so ingrained into the white citizens of the U.S., the defeated Southern States engaged in a process known as “Redemption.” “Redeemers,” as they were called, fielded candidates for office and won many of those elections at the state and local levels. Now, new forms exist in 2022. The so-called “Redeemers” political program included racist opposition to the Radical Reconstruction programs and the racist slogan of “States Rights” was their battle cry, but one that was used to mask their racist intentions. “Redemption” was deliberately chosen as a term from the Roman corruption of Christian theology. Today, racist Christian Nationalists, QAnon bigots, Proud Boys, and other extremists have copied the racist tidal wave of the 1860s. In the 1860s, by using corrupted religious doctrines, they polarized racist-minded whites in order to unify white voters and beat back Reconstruction. Today, a new generation of racists has risen from the grave.
The racists of today can trace their hatred to the fight against slavery, racism, segregation, and injustice across centuries. It can be traced to the words “We the People” and the 3/5th Compromise. They wanted America to be a “White Country.” The blind followers of Donald Trump are the new generation of bigots trying to make America a pot of hatred. Many historians have interpreted the term “Conservative” as the catch-all disguise for a return to racist extremism. Though slavery has ended, there is always the danger that the “Redeemers” of the modern era (Trump’s blind followers) will consolidate power. This is evident, as the riot at the Capitol demonstrates. The racists are back in full swing with their racist garbage, but their “Red Wave” of electing racists to office turned out to be a PINK SPLASH!
