Freedom: A History of Us | What is Freedom?

Summary

The video script explores the aftermath of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction period, focusing on the challenges faced by newly freed Black Americans. It highlights the political tension between President Andrew Johnson and Congress, the implementation of Black Codes, and the passing of key constitutional amendments. Despite initial progress, the script delves into the rise of segregation, racial violence, and the eventual rollback of civil rights advances. The narrative reflects the enduring struggle for equality and the unresolved question of freedom in post-Civil War America.

Takeaways

• 🗽 The aftermath of the Civil War left the South in ruins, with white Southerners feeling confused and angry, while the region was physically and economically devastated.
• 🤝 Reconstruction initially brought positive changes, including the passage of the 13th Amendment, the establishment of the Freedman's Bureau, and efforts to integrate Black citizens into society.
• 💔 Despite the efforts, Black Southerners faced systemic barriers through new 'Black Codes' that limited their freedoms, keeping them in conditions close to slavery.
• 🎓 The push for civil rights included access to education and the right to vote, with many former slaves seeing land ownership as a vital part of their newfound freedom.
• 🗳️ Congress passed landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the 14th Amendment, ensuring equal protection under the law and granting Black men voting rights.
• ⚖️ Despite early progress, President Andrew Johnson’s opposition to civil rights and leniency toward the South undermined many Reconstruction efforts.
• 📜 For the first time in U.S. history, Black individuals were elected to political office, including Hiram Revels becoming the first Black U.S. Senator in 1870.
• 🔨 Radical Republicans in Congress clashed with President Johnson over the direction of Reconstruction, leading to his impeachment, though he narrowly avoided removal from office.
• 🗡️ Violence against Black citizens, such as lynchings by the Ku Klux Klan, became increasingly common in response to Reconstruction reforms, undermining Black progress.
• 🚂 The Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896 legalized segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine, effectively ending Reconstruction and ushering in a new era of racial segregation.

Q & A

What is the significance of the Civil War in the context of the script?

The Civil War marked a major turning point in American history, as it led to the abolition of slavery and the Reconstruction era. The script highlights how the war devastated the South, led to the emancipation of four million black people, and created deep tensions between the North and South.

What were the 'Black Codes' mentioned in the script?

The Black Codes were laws enacted by Southern states after the Civil War to restrict the freedom of African Americans and force them back into a labor system similar to slavery. These codes aimed to limit civil rights and economic opportunities for black people.

How did President Andrew Johnson's policies affect Reconstruction?

Andrew Johnson opposed many of the Reconstruction efforts aimed at securing rights for former slaves. He vetoed the expansion of the Freedmen’s Bureau and allowed Southern states to enact Black Codes, effectively undermining the progress towards racial equality.

What was the role of Congress in opposing President Johnson's stance on Reconstruction?

Congress, particularly the Republican majority, opposed Johnson’s leniency toward the South and his rejection of civil rights for blacks. They passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Reconstruction Act of 1867, overriding Johnson's vetoes to ensure that Southern states reformed their constitutions and granted African Americans more rights.

Who was Thaddeus Stevens, and what were his views on Reconstruction?

Thaddeus Stevens was a leading Republican in Congress who believed that the Southern states should not be readmitted to the Union until African Americans were given full rights, including the right to vote and land ownership. He called for a complete restructuring of Southern society.

What impact did the 14th and 15th Amendments have on African Americans during Reconstruction?

The 14th Amendment guaranteed equal protection under the law for all citizens, and the 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote. These amendments were significant steps towards racial equality, although their enforcement was inconsistent.

What were the primary goals of former slaves after the Civil War, according to the script?

Former slaves sought to escape the injustices of slavery, such as forced labor and family separation. They wanted civil rights, the ability to vote, access to education, and land ownership to gain economic independence and integrate into American society.

How did Southern whites react to the Reconstruction policies?

Many Southern whites were angry and confused after the Civil War. They resented the changes imposed by Reconstruction, including the loss of their previous social hierarchy. White supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan emerged to oppose the reforms and intimidate black citizens.

What role did Ulysses S. Grant play in Reconstruction?

As president, Ulysses S. Grant supported civil rights for African Americans and backed Congressional Reconstruction policies. He oversaw the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which aimed to outlaw discrimination in public places.

How did Reconstruction come to an end, and what were its consequences?

Reconstruction ended when President Rutherford B. Hayes withdrew federal troops from the South in 1877, leaving African Americans vulnerable to Southern white supremacist groups. This allowed the rise of segregation and disenfranchisement, leading to a rollback of many of the civil rights gains made during Reconstruction.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 The Longing for Freedom

The paragraph begins with a lyrical expression of a desire for freedom, both personal and collective. The singer wishes to break free from chains and express thoughts and love freely, symbolizing a broader yearning for liberation and equality. It transitions into a historical context, post-Civil War, where families mourn the losses, and Southern society, once prosperous, is left in ruins. White Southerners struggle to rebuild their lives amid devastation, while Northerners grapple with anger and demands for punishment of the South. This sets the stage for the complexities of post-war reconstruction.

05:00

💔 The Challenges of Southern Reconstruction

This paragraph highlights the immediate post-war reconstruction efforts. The 13th Amendment is passed, formally ending slavery, and the Freedman's Bureau is established to provide aid to freed black people. However, President Andrew Johnson, a Southern Democrat, begins to dismantle efforts for equality by vetoing the expansion of the bureau and allowing the South to impose restrictive Black Codes. These laws seek to limit black freedoms and restore a system that mimics slavery. This tension between federal efforts for equality and local resistance sets the tone for the Reconstruction era.

10:01

📜 Political Struggles and African-American Empowerment

Congress steps in to assert control over Reconstruction, overriding Johnson's vetoes and passing the Civil Rights Bill of 1866. For the first time, African Americans are elected to Congress, symbolizing a radical shift in Southern society. The 14th Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law, and the Reconstruction Act of 1867 ensures black men can vote. This paragraph outlines the transformative yet contentious nature of these political changes, with Southern resistance and Congressional efforts to impose lasting reforms in the South.

15:03

⚔️ Rise of White Supremacy and the Ku Klux Klan

This section describes the violent backlash from white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan, who terrorize black citizens to maintain racial hierarchies. The Klan uses fear tactics such as lynchings, whippings, and murder to suppress black political participation and social mobility. Despite the efforts of Reconstruction, this growing violence and Southern resistance pose a serious threat to the gains made in civil rights for African Americans, highlighting the fragility of these victories.

20:04

🚪 Segregation and the Collapse of Reconstruction

The final paragraph details the collapse of Reconstruction as Southern white leaders regain power and begin to systematically dismantle the rights of African Americans. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 is nullified, ushering in an era of legal segregation with the Plessy v. Ferguson decision, which endorses the concept of 'separate but equal.' Public spaces become segregated, and black citizens are denied basic freedoms. The era's promise of racial equality fades, as figures like W.E.B. Du Bois lament the reversal of progress, comparing the situation of African Americans to a return to bondage.

Keywords

💡Reconstruction

Reconstruction refers to the period after the American Civil War (1865-1877) when efforts were made to rebuild the South and integrate freed slaves into society. In the video, Reconstruction is discussed as a time of social, political, and economic reforms aimed at providing rights to formerly enslaved African Americans. It began with hopes for equality but faced opposition, leading to setbacks such as the rise of segregation.

💡Freedmen's Bureau

The Freedmen's Bureau was established by Congress in 1865 to assist former slaves by providing food, shelter, education, and legal support. The video highlights how it was part of early Reconstruction efforts, helping former slaves transition to freedom. However, its effectiveness was limited, particularly after President Andrew Johnson vetoed its expansion in 1866.

💡Black Codes

Black Codes were laws passed by Southern states after the Civil War to restrict the freedoms of African Americans. These laws aimed to force freedmen back into agricultural labor and maintain a social order similar to slavery. The video discusses how President Johnson's leniency toward the South allowed for the creation of these codes, effectively curtailing the freedom Reconstruction promised.

💡13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment, passed in 1865, abolished slavery in the United States. The video explains how this amendment was a foundational element of Reconstruction, formally ending slavery, but also how its promise of freedom was undermined by the Black Codes and other post-war policies aimed at keeping African Americans in subordinate roles.

💡Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson was the 17th president of the United States, who took office after Lincoln's assassination. In the video, Johnson is portrayed as a key antagonist to Reconstruction efforts, opposing civil rights for African Americans and allowing Southern states to reassert white supremacy through Black Codes. His opposition to racial equality and his impeachment are significant parts of the narrative.

💡14th Amendment

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. The video emphasizes its importance in guaranteeing civil rights to African Americans during Reconstruction. Despite this legal protection, many Southern states resisted its enforcement, contributing to the failure of Reconstruction.

💡Civil Rights Act of 1866

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was the first U.S. federal law to define citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by the law, targeting the Black Codes. The video explains that President Johnson vetoed the Act, but Congress overrode his veto, marking a significant victory for Reconstruction and African American rights.

💡Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was a white supremacist terrorist group that formed during Reconstruction to oppose the rights of African Americans through violence and intimidation. The video describes how groups like the KKK attacked Black citizens, undermining their newly gained freedoms, and spreading fear across the South as part of the larger resistance to Reconstruction.

💡15th Amendment

The 15th Amendment, passed in 1870, granted African American men the right to vote. The video discusses how it was a major achievement of Reconstruction, aiming to provide political equality. However, despite this constitutional protection, many Southern states implemented discriminatory practices, like literacy tests and poll taxes, to disenfranchise Black voters.

💡Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States. The video references how, after the failure of Reconstruction, these laws institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination, reversing many of the gains made by African Americans during Reconstruction. The Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson legalized segregation, reinforcing these laws.

Highlights

The song 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free' conveys deep emotions about freedom, equality, and the desire to break free from oppression.

After the Civil War, Southern cities like Charleston, South Carolina, were left in ruins with vacant homes and desolate streets.

White Southerners, devastated by the loss of their 'elegant Southern lifestyle,' struggled with the economic and social destruction caused by the war.

Mississippi in 1866 spent one-third of its revenues on artificial limbs for veterans who returned home wounded, highlighting the physical cost of war.

4 million black Southerners, newly freed after the Civil War, were left without money, property, or opportunities, facing significant obstacles.

Frederick Douglass emphasized that while former slaves were free from their masters, they still faced oppression and exclusion from society.

The Black Codes passed by Southern states aimed to severely restrict the rights of newly freed African Americans, limiting their freedoms and forcing them into a dependent labor class.

The Civil Rights Act of 1866, passed by Congress, nullified the Black Codes and was a landmark law in the fight for racial equality.

President Andrew Johnson's opposition to Reconstruction policies caused deep rifts, and Congress took control of Reconstruction, passing the Reconstruction Act of 1867.

The 14th Amendment, passed by Congress, was one of the most significant changes to the Constitution, ensuring equal protection under the law for all citizens.

For the first time in U.S. history, African Americans were elected to public office, including 16 representatives in Congress, signaling a significant shift in American politics.

Violent groups like the Ku Klux Klan began targeting black Southerners during Reconstruction, using terror and violence to undermine progress toward equality.

President Ulysses S. Grant supported civil rights, leading to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1875, outlawing discrimination in public spaces.

The end of Reconstruction in 1877 led to the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, which allowed white supremacy to reassert itself through segregation and disenfranchisement.

The 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson legalized segregation through the 'separate but equal' doctrine, which would dominate the South for decades.

W.E.B. Du Bois summarized the failure of Reconstruction as a brief moment of freedom for former slaves, followed by a return to oppression and systemic inequality.

Transcripts

I wish I knew how it would feel to be

free I wish I could break all the chains

holding

me I wish I could say all the things

that I should say say I'm loud say I'm

clear for the whole round world

[Music]

I wish I could

share all the love that's in my

heart remove all the bars that

keep us

aart I wish you could know what it means

to be me then you'd see and agree that

every man should be

[Music]

free the Civil War was over all across

the land mothers and fathers buried

their sons wept and tried to forgive the

enemy now that all were once again

pledging allegiance to the same

flag white Southerners were angry and

Confused their elegant Southern

lifestyle had been

destroyed journalist Sydney and

described Charleston South Carolina a

city of ruins desolation and vacant

houses of rotting Wares deserted

warehouses and grass grown

streets that is Charleston the beauty

and pride of the city are

dead a generation of white Southern men

had been

decimated those who came home brought

wounds with

them in 186 6 the year after the war's

end Mississippi spent 1th of its

revenues on artificial arms and legs for

returning

veterans their homes their farms and

livestock were gone and now their widows

were forced to pick up the pieces we had

no cattle Hogs sheep or horses or

anything else the barns were all burned

chimneys standing without houses and

houses standing without roofs or doors

or Windows

Northerners were angry too the South had

started the Civil War and many thought

it should be punished Pennsylvania

Congressman thus Stevens called The

Rebel leaders traitors and said that

they ought to be hanged four years of

bloody and expensive war waged against

the United States by 11 states we hold

it the duty of government to inflict

punishment on the rebel belligerant and

so weaken their hands that they can

never again endanger the

union 4 million black Southerners were

now freed men and freed

women what were they to do now where

were they to

go Isaiah wears was a prominent black

spokesperson let no man think we ask for

people's pity or

commiseration what we do ask is fairness

and equal opportunities in the Battle of

life we are friends of our country we

have fought to defend her let us have

the same chances as those who have

fought against

her but as Frederick Douglas observed

Southern blacks had major obstacles

before them a former slave was free from

the individual Master but the slave of

society he had neither money property

nor friends he was free from the old

plantation but he had nothing but the

dusty road under his feet

to some extent freedom for former slaves

just meant getting out from under all

the injustices of slavery no longer

being whipped no longer being ordered

about by whites no longer having their

families broken up having access to

education being able to move about

freely all those regulations of slavery

would no longer apply but they also saw

Freedom as incorporation into American

society they wanted the right to vote

they wanted equality before the law and

many of them also thought land should

come with freedom no longer being

dependent on whites for their livelihood

but having that autonomy that came with

land ownership so their notion of

Freedom was a very expansive thing a

real change in all the aspects of their

lives Millie Freeman was a former slave

it seemed like it took a long time for

freedom to come everything just kept on

like it was we heard that lots of slaves

was getting land and some m to sit up

for themselves I never know anyone got

land or mules or

[Music]

nothing the Reconstruction of the South

got off to a good start the passage of

the 13th Amendment in late

1865 made slavery permanently

unconstitutional the fredman's bureau

begun back under Abraham l Lincoln now

distributed food clothing and shelter to

black people all across the South and it

helped open schools for former

slaves but unlike Lincoln the new

President Andrew Johnson wasn't

interested in former slaves he was a

southerner and a Democrat and had been a

slave owner

himself in February 1866 he vetoed an

expansion of the fredman's bureau and

then looked the other way as Southern

leaders instituted New Black Codes that

restricted the freedom of black

people at the same time he called for

the welcoming of white Southern leaders

back into the national government this

is a country for white men and by God as

long as I am president it shall be a

government for white men I cannot take

the position that a state which

attempted to succeed is out of the Union

I shall be in favor of the state

resuming their former relations to the

government in all respects

President Andrew Johnson basically gave

the white South a free hand in

organizing new government didn't give

blacks any rights and said okay Southern

whites can form new governments and

these new governments passed these black

codes to regulate the freedom of the

former slaves and basically they tried

to put them in a condition as close to

slavery as possible using the Law to

force blacks to go back to work on the

plantations they didn't have civil

rights they couldn't go to court they

couldn't testify they couldn't vote the

Black Codes try to make the status of

the former slaves that of dependent

Plantation laborers under the control of

the white

population encouraged by President

Johnson's strong support Southern whites

began reinstating many of their old

leaders electing former high-ranking

Confederate officers to the US House and

Senate an outraged Congress where

Republicans outnumbered Democrats by

almost 4 to1 refused to seat them

instead they passed the Civil Rights

bill of

1866 effectively nullifying the Black

Codes on March 27th President Andrew

Johnson vetoed the

bill I am right I know I am right and I

am damned if I do not adhere to it the

only way a vetoed bill can become a law

is if 2third of Congress overrides The

veto in April

1866 2/3 did it was the first time in

American history that an important piece

of legislation was passed over a

president's

veto Carl schz was a republican

activist the first gun of the war

between the president and Congress was

fired it declared that the

Reconstruction of the late Rebel States

was the business not of the president

alone but of

Congress the republicans in Congress who

opposed President Johnson were led by

thus

Stevens Stevens believed that the

southern states should not be admitted

back into the Union until blacks were

given the vote land and guarantees of

equality under the law any call for a

total restructuring of Southern Society

the foundation of their institutions

must be broken and relay or all our

blood and treasure has been spent in

vain in 1866 Congress wrote the 14th

Amendment it was the most important

change made to the Constitution since

the Bill of Rights and it said that the

states must provide equal protection

under the law to all their

citizens no government can be free that

does not allow all its citizens to

participate in the formation and

execution of her laws every other

government is a

despotism in 1867 Congress took charge

of reconstruction removing it from

President Johnson's hands it forcibly

divided the South into military

districts then passed a sweeping Reform

Bill the Reconstruction Act of 1867

required each Southern State to write a

new state constitution that reflected

the amended US Constitution and it said

that while many former Confederate

leaders could not vote all black men

could the Act was widely embraced as

Harper's Weekly

reported though the president sees in it

the destruction of the Constitution and

the end of civil liberty the loyal

American people see in it the salvation

of the Constitution and the beginning of

civil liberty that is the meaning of the

Reconstruction

Act for the first time in American

history blacks were now elected to

political office 16 African-Americans

were elected to congress representing

almost every state of the former

Confederacy and in Mississippi hyam

Revels became one of two black US

senators taking the seat of of the

former Confederate President Jefferson

Davis the day he was sworn in the Senate

galleries were packed as a Philadelphia

newspaper

noted never since the birth of the

Republic has such an audience been

assembled under one single roof it

Embraces the greatest and the least

American

citizens as Hyrum Rebels walked down the

aisle everyone

stood then slowly but steadily people

began to

[Music]

cheer President Johnson was furious at

Congress for boxing him in and taking

away much of his power by now his

opponents were calling him the dead dog

of the white

house within a period of less than a

year Congress has attempted to strip the

executive department of its essential

power I have been abused I have been

slandered I have been

maligned Johnson especially opposed

congress's Reconstruction Act as Charles

nordoff of the evening posts

sarcastically

editorialized he expressed the most

bitter hatred of the measure in all its

parts declaring that the white people of

the South poor quiet unoffending

harmless were to be trodden Under Foot

to

protect he is a pigheaded man with only

one idea a bitter opposition to

universal

suffrage in 1867 disgusted with

Johnson's attitudes the republicans in

Congress decided to get rid of him for 2

months the House of Representatives

debated finally house members voted to

impeach Andrew Johnson

impeachment of me for violating the

Constitution damn them have I not been

struggling ever since I have been in

this chair to uphold the Constitution

which they trample

underfoot now the matter went to the

Senate only they could try a president

thus Stevens was one of those who

presented congress's case I accuse him

in the name of the House of

Representatives of having perpetrated a

foul off defense against his country he

has sought to convert a land of Freedom

into a land of

slaves this people have put the chief of

traitors on trial and now demand

Judgment of his

misconduct if President Johnson were

convicted of high crimes and

misdemeanors he would be thrown out of

office on Saturday May 16th the vote

began as expected all the Democrats

voted not guilty

Republican after Republican voted

guilty but behind the scenes Johnson had

been making deals with several

Republican senators in return for the

promise not to vote for

impeachment the final tally was 35 to19

just one vote short of the total needed

for

conviction President Johnson would

remain in

[Music]

office

in 1869 the year after Andrew Johnson's

acquit Congress passed the 15th

Amendment it gave black men the right to

vote all across the

country in the south social reforms were

now spreading

quickly black children were enrolling in

4,000 new Public Schools across the

south at least nine black colleges were

opened state legislatures were being

integrated it was a civil rights

Revolution and it was forced on the

south by the Republican control Congress

as Carl schz

explained the Republic emancipated the

slaves and promised them Freedom Forever

the protection of their rights is

therefore a matter of Duty this Duty

will present itself again and again in

legislation directly interfering with

the southern states for the southern

people duded by false hopes are still

struggling to restore the old Order of

Things furious with the north for

interfering in its Society Southern hate

groups like The Klux Clan began Waging

War on former slaves lynchings rare

before the Civil War now became

increasingly

common a southern black man named Ben

Johnson witnessed one of the Clan's

crimes it was a cold night when the

klues CED and drugs AED and out of bed

they cared him down in the woods and

whooped him it throws him in the pond

Cindy ain't been seen

since black citizens of Frankfurt

Kentucky sent a petition to

Congress we believe you're not familiar

with the Klux Clans riding nightly over

the country and in the county towns

spreading Terror wherever they go by

robbing whipping ravishing and killing

our people without

provocation we have been been

law-abiding citizens pay our tax and in

many parts of the state our people have

been driven from the polls refuse the

right to

vote in 1869 the Civil War hero ulyses S

Grant became

president unlike Johnson Grant cared

deeply about American

blacks and with his Support over the

next years Congress passed the Civil

Rights Act of

1875 outlawing discrimination in hotels

theaters and amusement parks it was the

last great legislation of

reconstruction but just a year later

Grant's successor Rutherford B Hayes

ordered Federal soldiers to be pulled

out of the South he said he believed the

promises of Southern whites that they

would protect black rights my judgment

was that the time had come to put an end

to bayonet rule to wipe out the color

line to abolish sectionalism and bring

peace the Army was withdrawn because I

believed did a wise thing to

do but the southern promises proved

worthless and no one was left there to

enforce civil rights for

African-Americans reconstruction was

over reconstruction was a great

opportunity to really build a new

Society in the South From the Ashes of

slavery and to for the first time really

bring African-Americans fully into the

realm of American

Freedom you might say that the amazing

thing is that it was tried at all just

two or three years after the ending of

slavery it didn't succeed it was

overthrown a new system of white

supremacy was enforced in the South it

left to The Next Century really this to

work out this question of whether there

is going to be a racial boundary around

the concept of freedom in American Life

in 1883 the Supreme Court made a fateful

decision they voted to nullify the Civil

Rights Act of

1875 that meant that from now on there

could once again be whites only hotels

restaurants barber shops and

theaters black leader Henry mcneel

Turner knew he had been betrayed by the

nation's highest court it was a hard

task to get an enactment through

Congress that contemplated anything like

civil rights now a republican Supreme

Court has declared the whole thing null

and void leaving the nigle in a

condition compared with which the Surfs

of Russia are

Lords I have not deserted the Republican

Party the Republican party has deserted

me and 7 million of my

[Music]

race and an aging Frederick Douglas now

a public official in Washington

expressed his disgust us men talk about

the Negro problem there is no negro

problem the problem is whether American

people have loyalty enough honor enough

patriotism enough to live up to their

own

[Music]

Constitution we Negroes love our country

we fought for it we ask only that we be

treated as well as those who fought

against

[Music]

it

the color line in America applied also

to trains which increasingly separated

passengers on the basis of

race in 1892 a 30-year-old black man

named Homer pie was arrested for sitting

in a wh's only railroad

car arguing that his civil rights had

been violated a Citizens committee took

his case all the way to the Supreme

Court the justices listened to the

arguments in the the case of pie v

Ferguson and in 1896 they made a

ruling Justice John Marshall Harland

wrote in favor of Homer pie in view of

the constitution in the eye of the law

there is in this country no Superior

dominant ruling class of citizens there

is no cast here our constitution is

colorblind and neither knows nor

tolerates classes among

citizens but Harland was a lone voice on

the court and all the other justices

voted against pie Justice Henry billing

Brown wrote the decision that spoke for

the

majority the 14th Amendment calls for

the absolute equality of the two races

before the law but it could not have

been intended to abolish distinctions

based upon color or to enforce social

equality or a co-mingling of the

races what the this meant was that

though the races were equal before the

law local laws could prevent people of

different races from

mingling in other words if public

facilities were equal they could be

separate and so the age of legalized

segregation began the Ohio legislator

Benjamin Arnett described the effect of

the Court's ruling I have traveled in

this free country for 20 hours without

anything to eat not because I had no

money to pay pay for it but because I

was colored other passengers of lighter

Hue had breakfast dinner and supper in

traveling we are thrown in Jim Crow cars

Deni the privilege of buying a birth in

the sleeping coach this foe of my race

stands at the schoolhouse door and

separates the children by reasons of

color and deny to those who have a

visible ad mixture of African blood in

them the blessings of a graded school

and equal

privileges over at a period of just 30

years the opportunity for Freedom opened

up by the Civil War had been

lost WB deoy summed up the tragic

failure of the era the slave went free

stood a brief moment in the sun then

moved back again toward

[Music]

slavery like a bird in the

sky how sweet

it would be if by my heart I could

fly so to the Sun and look down at the

sea then i'

[Music]

sing