June 22, 2008
Slavery after slavery
Matthew Yglesias has a bit on a book entitled "Slavery by another Name" about the process of enslaving African Americans (up till World War 2) through quasi-legal methods. No proof of employment? Sold into slavery. No overt racial bias in the law, but only enforced on black people. Pretty shameful part of our history, and unfortunately, one that is not too hard to believe.
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Up until the late 1940's courts enforced private racial covenants. I am sure most are fmailiar with land use convenants. We have one where we leave that requires home owners to get the ok of the neighberhood board before building additional structures. We are also prohibited from building certain kinds of structures.
Up until the late 1940's there were neighberhoods with racial restrictions that would prevent you from selling your home to a non-white and they were enforcable by courts.
I grew up in Southern Missouri, no people of African descent dared to come around, back then. I never met a person of color until I was in college. I have seen signs warning 'those people' to stay away from some towns. Such a sad, sad world. It was not so very long ago. Obama's candidacy gives me hope that peoples and nations can change and grow.
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