Chapter 1: The Reality of Southern States

The assertion that during the period from 1895 to 1966, not a single southern state in the U.S. operated as a democracy is undeniably accurate. A colleague of mine, a law professor, made this observation, and I wholeheartedly concur.

For African Americans, the South represented a collection of fascist states where democratic values were nonexistent. States such as Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, and Kentucky denied African Americans any rights, effectively rendering them non-citizens. In some regions, they were not even regarded as human beings.

African Americans lived under the constant threat of violence for any or no reason at all, resulting in countless tragic losses of life. Even in the nation’s capital, Washington D.C., the oppressive Jim Crow laws dictated the lives of African Americans.

Our children are often not educated about these critical historical truths in elementary school; instead, they are fed misleading narratives. This leads to confusion and susceptibility to manipulation. Many are taught to recite the “Pledge of Allegiance,” and slowly become convinced that while America may have erred in the past, it is fundamentally a good and perhaps even great nation. My intent is not to debate America's merits but to illuminate the facts, as Charles Dickens aptly put it: “Just the facts.”

I, too, stood for the pledge, unaware of the history that had been kept from me. The truths I learned were imparted by my father and others who guided me through books that revealed this history piece by piece. At times, the anger I feel when confronted with the extent of the deception is overwhelming.

My mother, originally from South Carolina, seldom discusses her past, perhaps finding the memories too painful to relive. My father, who hailed from Baltimore—often considered part of the South—also chose to suppress those memories.

Even more unsettling than my friend's observation is the fact that these southern states seceded from the Union and attempted to overthrow the government to maintain slavery and uphold white supremacy. Following their defeat, very few faced justice, and they rejoined the Union while establishing oppressive regimes that operated anti-democratically, favoring only a select group of people.

The debate surrounding reparations is often misdirected; the real question should be about the form these reparations will take once they are enacted.

By 1890, the southern states had reached an agreement to address increasing racial tensions through the implementation of Jim Crow laws. The prevailing racial attitudes became ingrained as a core belief system in the South.

White Americans across the country harbored fears of African Americans, but in the South, the law provided a backdrop for state-sanctioned oppression. Everything was segregated: cemeteries, theaters, and even ticket counters. African Americans had to wait for white customers to be served first at post offices and banks—an absurd and humiliating system that seems almost unfathomable today.

It’s baffling that some individuals believe such deeply rooted injustices can be rectified in a short span, especially given that millions of those complicit still live today.

I did not inquire why my friend pinpointed 1895 as the starting year for this discussion, but I understand his reasoning. The 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision effectively marked the onset of Jim Crow laws in America, although the groundwork for legal racial apartheid was already well established prior.

Virginia enacted one of the earliest Jim Crow laws in 1870, mandating racial segregation in schools. This moment set off a chain reaction that rapidly escalated. Between 1890 and 1908, southern states systematically stripped African Americans of their voting rights and instituted new constitutions, with every state, including some in the North, adopting Jim Crow laws.

The moment African Americans gained citizenship, their rights were swiftly revoked.

American history is often sanitized, and in some states like Florida, it is becoming illegal to teach the real narratives of our past. In many ways, Florida exemplifies contemporary fascist tendencies.

Few children in America learn that President Woodrow Wilson was a staunch advocate for racial segregation, transforming the federal government into a Jim Crow institution. Similarly, Franklin Roosevelt, one of the most celebrated U.S. presidents, made compromises with southern legislators during the New Deal, depriving African Americans of their rightful economic benefits. Despite their legacies, many view Wilson and Roosevelt as heroes.

Have you ever pondered why James Baldwin remarked that Black Americans are engulfed in rage?

The comment from my friend sparked a moment of fury within me. Thankfully, I have this platform to process those feelings constructively.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.