Act for the sake of future generations

It’s time for us to take a long, hard look at what’s happening in our country that is undermining our democratic institutions.

Those of you who have some understanding of American history, know that America has come from a mighty long way in defining what it means to be an “American.” “We, the people,” that was written in the Preamble to our Constitution, in 1787, was woefully inadequate. It would take another 78 years and a civil war before the American government took concrete steps to include the formerly enslaved Blacks as part of the American fabric.

On paper, slavery was ended by the 13th Amendment in December 1865; the newly freed Black people were guaranteed their rights of citizenship and equal protection of the law by the 14th Amendment in 1868, and in 1870, the 15th Amendment was ratified, giving Black men the right to vote. Oh, I forgot to tell you, this push for Black civil rights was led by Republicans, whose critics called them “Radical” Republicans, for choosing to do the right thing.

These amendments to our constitutional and democratic institutions took place during the period of Reconstruction, following the tragic years of the Civil War. Unfortunately, the former Confederate leaders and white Southerners opposed these measures to grant equality to Black Americans and sought ways to “keep the Negro in his place.” This reign of racial terror in the South included Jim Crow laws, disenfranchisement and lynchings. And, again, I forgot to tell you this campaign of racial terror and white supremacy throughout the South was sanctioned by Democrats.

As we fast forward and exhale, it is crystal clear that our two major parties have reversed their stance on many key issues, at least, publicly today, especially in the area of civil rights. With the advent of the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, the Democrats embraced civil rights as a moral issue the nation must finally confront and support. And President Lyndon Johnson was able to get bipartisan support for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which white Southern Democrats had tried to block by using the filibuster. This act was viewed by Americans of good will as a step toward enhancing our democracy.

Without a doubt, the push by Black Americans and their white allies for civil rights did change the political landscape in America. Sadly, those gains are under attack today, putting our democracy at risk, Yes, great are the woes of inflation, resulting in high gas prices and higher prices in general, and we should demand our leaders work to find solutions.

However, we cannot ignore these growing threats to our democracy that are the result of Trump’s Big Lie. We witnessed the violent attack of the U.S. Capitol, and let’s not wait for the next tragic incident before we are moved to action, becoming inspired for the sake of future generations.