#White Men's Law: The Roots of Systemic Racism

[ausetkmt]

White Men's Law: The Roots of Systemic Racism

A searing--and sobering--account of the legal and extra-legal means by which systemic white racism has kept Black Americans 'in their place' from slavery to police and vigilante killings of Black men and women, from 1619 to the present.

From the arrival of the first English settlers in America until now-a span of four centuries-a minority of white men have created, managed, and perpetuated their control of every major institution, public and private, in American society. And no group in America has suffered more from the harms

imposed by white men's laws than African Americans, with punishment by law often replaced by extra-legal means. Over the centuries, thousands of victims have been murdered by lynching, white mobs, and appalling massacres.

In White Men's Law, the eminent scholar Peter Irons makes a powerful and persuasive case that African Americans have always been held back by systemic racism in all major institutions that can hold power over them. Based on a wide range of sources, from the painful words of former slaves to test

scores that reveal how our education system has failed Black children, this searing and sobering account of legal and extra-legal violence against African Americans peels away the fictions and myths expressed by white racists. The centerpiece of Irons' account is a 1935 lynching in Fort Lauderdale,

Florida. The episode produced a photograph of a blonde white girl of about seven looking at the hanging, bullet-riddled body of Rubin Stacy, who was accused of assaulting a white woman.

After analyzing this gruesome murder and the visual evidence left behind, Irons poses a foundational question: What historical forces preceded and followed this lynching to spark resistance to Jim Crow segregation, especially in schools that had crippled Black children with inferior education? The answers are rooted in the systemic racism-especially in the institutions of law and education--that African Americans, and growing numbers of white allies, are demanding be dismantled in tangible ways.

A thought-provoking look at systemic racism and the legal systems that built it, White Men's Law is an essential contribution to this painful but necessary debate.

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his best known is The Philadelphia Negro, based on his fieldwork during a research fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. In that book, Du Bois documented the many problems of the city’s Black residents, among them crime, poverty, poor education, and family disruption. What distinguished this book was the direct link Du Bois drew between these disabilities and their roots in slavery, portraying what we now label “systemic racism.” That was not a popular stance among critics who attributed these social problems to “bad choices” by Blacks who failed to take advantage of free public ed-ucation, a position we now call “blaming the victim.” Du Bois challenged this dominant view with statistics and analysis showing that “bad choices” by individual Blacks stemmed from “bad conditions” in all the institutions—especially schools and colleges—in which Blacks held very few positions of power and influence. In that respect, Du Bois was one of the earliest scholars whose path breaking studies and trenchant analysis served as models for later generations of scholars and social critics who explore the history and consequences of systemic racism, as this book—by a longtime admirer of DuBois and his work—attempts to do.

[black-paraphernalia]

Black Paraphernalia have posted a overview excerpt summary of a NIH study that was done. This subject is a very near to our heart and we being health care professionals who read many research studies in general and understand the double and triple risk a black woman face on a day to day but especially when it come to maternal care in the United States started with SLAVERY.

We decided to do a few post on Black women and Childbirth disparities and injustices in the medical arena. The sad thing even as health care license professionals, we have experienced covert discrimination and disparity when it came to our own professional positions and personal health. 

This is the first of a few posts that we will present in hopes of B1 community awareness. Please check out this post and others to come.

For the entire study click on the title to read in full.

Health Equity Among

 Black Women in the United States

Journal of Women's Health NIH - The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health

J Womens Health (Larchmt). February 2021; 30(2): 212–219.Published online 2021 Feb 2. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2020.8868

Black women in the United States experienced substantial improvements in health during the last century, yet health disparities persist. Black women continue to experience excess mortality relative to other U.S. women, including—despite overall improvements among Black women—shorter life expectancies and higher rates of maternal mortality.

Moreover, Black women are disproportionately burdened by chronic conditions, such as anemia, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and obesity. Health outcomes do not occur independent of the social conditions in which they exist.

The higher burden of these chronic conditions reflects the structural inequities within and outside the health system that Black women experience throughout the life course and contributes to the current crisis of maternal morbidity and mortality. The health inequities experienced by Black women are not merely a cross section of time or the result of a singular incident.

No discussion of health equity among Black women is complete unless it considers the impacts of institutional- and individual-level forms of racism and discrimination against Black people. Nor is a review of health equity among Black women complete without an understanding of the intersectionality of gender and race and the historical contexts that have accumulated to influence Black women's health in the United States.

Research consistently has documented the continued impacts of systematic oppression, bias, and unequal treatment of Black women. Substantial evidence exists that racial differences in socioeconomic, education and employment and housing outcomes among women are the result of segregation, discrimination, and historical laws purposed to oppress Blacks and women in the United States.

The intersectionality of gender and race and its impact on the health of Black women also is important. This intersection of race and gender for Black women is more than the sum of being Black or being a woman: It is the synergy of the two. Black women are subjected to high levels of racism, sexism, and discrimination at levels not experienced by Black men or White women.

In contrast to Black women, White women in the United States have benefited from living in a politically, culturally, and socioeconomically White-dominated society. These benefits accumulate across generations, creating a cycle of overt and covert privileges not afforded to Black women. 

The history of Black women's access to health care and treatment by the U.S. medical establishment, particularly in gynecology, contributes to the present-day health disadvantages of Black women. Health inequality among Black women is rooted in slavery. White slaveholders viewed enslaved Black women as a means of economic gain, resulting in the abuse of Black women's bodies and a disregard for their reproductive health. Black women were forced to procreate, with little or no self-agency and limited access to medical care.

The development of gynecology as a medical specialty in the 1850s ushered in a particularly dark period for the health of Black women. With no regulations for the protection of human subjects in research, Black women were subjected to unethical experimentation without consent. Even in more contemporary times, these abuses continue.

As a result of this history and the accumulation of disadvantages across generations, Black women are at the center of a public health emergency. Maternal mortality rates for non-Hispanic Black women are three to four times the maternal mortality rates of non-Hispanic White women.In

Racism and gender discrimination have profound impacts on the well-being of Black women. Evidence-based care models that are informed by equity and reproductive justice frameworks (reproductive rights as human rights need to be explored to address disparities throughout the life course, including the continuum of maternity care, and to ensure favorable outcomes for all women.

Health does not exist outside its social context. Without equity in social and economic conditions, health equity is unlikely to be achieved,and one cost of health inequality has been the lives of Black women.

The above is a summary excerpt take from the study by the Journal of Women's Health NIH - The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health

BLACK PARAPHERNALIA DISCLAIMER - PLEASE READ

[beardedmrbean]

I testified Thursday against the City Council Fair Chance for Housing Act, my second time in Council Chambers. The first was in May 2019 when I spoke personally and passionately about protecting New York City’s specialized high schools.

The bill, also known as Int. 632, is another City Council measure designed to protect lawbreakers at the expense of the law-abiding. It would prohibit criminal background checks on prospective tenants and buyers of residential housing.

After testifying, I left City Hall. It wasn’t until hours later that I heard the racist response to my testimony from Douglas Powell, who spoke on behalf of city-funded nonprofit Vocal-NY. He and his organization want individuals such as Powell, who has a criminal record and is a level 2 registered sex offender, to be able to access housing without criminal background checks.

His testimony laid out his criminal-justice experience and his lived experience of anti-black discrimination at Asian stores — culminating in a racist attack on the Asian community where he lives. In his three-minute tirade, he called Queens’ Rego Park the most racist neighborhood because it is majority Asian. “It’s not their neighborhood — they from China, Hong Kong,” he said. “We from New York.” 

Convicted sex offender spews anti-Asian slurs during NYC Council meeting — and pols do nothing to stop him

This anti-Asian, perpetual-foreigner, “You don’t belong here” rhetoric is dangerous hate speech that incites violence. Unprovoked attacks on Asian New Yorkers are on the rise.

Powell’s racist rant was delivered in the presence of three councilmembers without interruption or admonishment. Committee chair Nantasha Williams even thanked Powell for his testimony. It’s as if his anti-Asian hate speech in the chamber was unremarkable white noise. It took hours, after online pressure from constituents, for those present to issue generic disapproval statements, retweeting other electeds’ condemnation, and say “both sides” share blame for systemic racism.

Like many Asian Americans, I am a property owner and small landlord. When I graduated, my parents encouraged me to live at home, pay off my debt and save to buy a property. I lived at home for a few years and paid off my student loans as quickly as I could. Decades later, I bought my first investment property. I rented mostly to young men and women at the start of their careers. As a landlord, I treated my tenants the way I wanted to be treated: fairly and responsively. I’m fortunate real-estate brokers and condo management could conduct criminal and credit checks, not only for my benefit but for the safety of neighbors in the building.

Powell spewed hateful, anti-Asian rhetoric at the council meeting.Stephen Yang

Asian Americans have the highest rate of home ownership in the city, 42%. The stability of owning property as a means of building wealth is deeply rooted in Asian culture. New York’s pro-tenant policies, especially the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, have resulted in heartbreaking stories from small-property landlords. The laws, intended to help tenants, some of whom lost jobs during COVID, disproportionately hurt immigrant landlords. Not only have they not been paid rent for three years; some living in multi-family units are terrorized by tenants who know they can’t evict. Many Asian property owners are working class, and their modest rental income helps pay for the mortgage, property taxes and unit upkeep.

While bad tenants existed before this bill, it would make things worse. Private-property owners should not bear the burden of unknowingly renting to convicted arsonists and murderers and letting them live next door to New Yorkers who want a safe place after a long day braving our unpredictable city streets and subways. We worry about higher insurance, liability in endangering other tenants and frivolous lawsuits in tenant-friendly courts. That becomes a cost-benefit question for owners — whether it’s worth it to rent with little profit.

Like most landlords, I don’t live in the building I rent, but I do worry about the tenants I rent to. I think of the kindhearted young Asian professional who pleaded with me to let her have a Hurricane Sandy rescue dog. I worry about the wheelchair-bound young man grateful to find independence in living in an accessible building and appreciative of me letting him install an automatic door opener for his convenience. I want them to have the peace of mind that when they return to their small haven in the city, they will be safe, among neighbors who won’t pose a risk to them.

The fight to save specialized high schools that brought me to council the first time galvanized many Asian voters who had never been involved in city politics before. I am one of those newly politicized voters. This year, I co-founded Asian Wave Alliance to make sure that Asian-American New Yorkers’ needs are not ignored by the very councilmembers who sat quietly and listened to Powell’s racist attacks.

This time, I went to council to convince the Committee on Human and Civil Rights and the bill’s sponsors that the Fair Chance for Housing Act is not “fair” at all to small landlords and already-existing tenants. Getting rid of reasonable safeguards like criminal background checks is not “fair” to the city’s law-abiding citizens and will put people in danger. True fairness requires listening to all New Yorkers and prioritizing safety and transparency. 

[colorlatina]

Trans Day of Visibility 2023 #TDOV

This year, on Trans Day of Visibility, I carry with me a grief that seems compounded more and more every day. This day is about trans joy, but I don’t believe joy is antithetical to grief, or even to anger. Joy is so much more than we give it credit for, and as one of my favorite [QTPOC] authors says, joy is a politicized form of pleasure that goes beyond gratification to challenge the norms and social structures that incite violence against us. Trans day of visibility brings mixed feelings for me, knowing that increased visibility often leads to increased violence towards our community. But knowing, also, that trans existence is power. Trans joy is power. Trans people are worthy of love and protection. This day means so much more to me than just uplifting a handful of trans voices. This day, and every day, is a celebration and investment in trans joy. To me, that includes recognizing how reproductive justice (RJ) has always been queer and entangled with trans liberation, and that I carry my transness and and my investment in trans joy with me in the work I do. Even if the movement has not always explicitly worked to protect the rights of trans people (and I am glad it is finally moving in the direction of doing so), the basis of reproductive justice is rooted in anti-racism and queer and trans liberation.

RJ argues that it is not an accident that women of color are disproportionately impacted by acts of reproductive oppression; reproductive oppression is a deliberate tool in preserving and expanding white supremacy. The (re)production of white social, political, and economic capital relies on an exploitable population. For example, the state created pro-natalist policies for Black, enslaved women because their having children resulted in an increase in white wealth (property, labor, status), and it created anti-natalist policies for Indigenous women because their having children were a threat to white wealth (land, claims over resources, western cultural ideals). In order to justify their exploitation, people are dehumanized through a racialization process that includes their sexual and reproductive oppression. Part of this was by asserting that gender is a human characteristic, so only white men and women had access to gender. Black and Indigenous people were classified as not human in species—as animals, “male” and “female.” Thus, the construction of gender, and the way it functions in our society and in our laws, is intricately tied to how reproductive oppression is leveraged. Having or not having access to gender is reflective of our proximity to power, and trans people are undoubtedly a large part of who we fight for when we work to dismantle reproductive oppression. 

Even when racialized or gendered implications are not always explicit in the language of these laws, their interpretation (and thus, their implementation) disproportionately hurt Black, Indigenous, and other nonwhite women, queer, and trans people. Systems rooted in whiteness decided which mothers were "unfit" and which people were "socially inadequate."

This legacy continued through the use of privacy-based protections for reproductive rights, where privacy is culturally defined, and undoubtedly influenced by the legacy of these dehumanizing methods. Not only is privacy not enough to include access to people’s rights, but it also begs the question of whose privacy should be protected. In 1965, The Supreme Court argued that a violation of someone's right to privacy is an "indefeasible" right afforded to everyone as long as they do not commit a “public offense.” The problem in this premise arises when someone's identity is a matter of public offense. In practice, women of color, queer and trans people, immigrants, those with disabilities, etc, are not included here. That is why RJ is grounded in human rights, moving beyond privacy. We know how important this is now more than ever, since the Dobbs decision. 

Now we see laws targeting abortion care and laws targeting trans people surge so quickly, so violently, so brazenly, and they mirror each other. Bounty hunter laws, for example, like the ones in Texas, allow any private citizen (see where I’m going with this) to sue anybody they thought could have been involved with any part of an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Using the same bill language, another legislator introduced a similar bill that would allow people to sue anybody who hosts or performs in drag where any child is in attendance; in a society where existing as a trans person could be interpreted as drag. In both cases, a winning plaintiff can expect to be paid actual damages, attorney’s fees, and statutory damages. There are bills that criminalize “aiding and abetting” abortion and gender affirming care. Including even emotionally supporting trans children, helping with travel for either care, the reimbursement of the costs of an abortion through insurance or other means. 

So what do we do? Part of what we’re doing is working to pass a bill that would provide civil and criminal protections for abortion and gender-affirming care providers, patients and those who support them. We know this is needed because of how this care is targeted across the country, and how it threatens not only trans people, but the people who love trans people, too. And even in sitting through the weight, and the grief, and the tears, and the anger of it all, in the hours of egregious testimony against our very existence, there is joy there too. I was surrounded by trans people and people who love trans people. I held the memory and the inextinguishable fire that radiates from all the trans people in my life. My mentors and my friends, my heroes and my ancestors. They were there, too. 

Trans joy is everywhere. Trans joy is so radiant, that it lingers even when we exit the room. Trans joy is the kindle in the fire of every social movement I can think of. Trans joy is proof that magic exists. Trans joy is alchemy. It is the warm feeling in our bellies when we decide to make something out of nothing; the is the in-between-ness that allows us to sew meaning from torn and stolen fabric, ...the re-stitched and recycled fabric of space and time we’re left with when we have no choice but to make new worlds; to be able to exist outside and within the one that is given to us. 

And as someone who is still pre-transition, I tend to not take up as much space, as I know I walk through life with the privileges of a cis person. And my decision to wait, as painful as it is, is my own. It is a decision I make every day. Everyday I wake up not feeling fully alive in my own body. Everyday I wake up with an overwhelming love for trans people. Everyday I wake up seeing more and more violence on my trans kin. Everyday I decide to have joy, deliberately and brazenly. Everyday I wake up wondering if I wait any longer, I might never get to transition at all. I also see the immense power trans people have in their capacity to honor their grief, joy, anger, love, and contradictions. To persist, and resist, and insist that we are right here, everyday, and we will always be. So I write this, on TDOV, knowing nothing I could write could be truly lighthearted, as a love letter to my trans kin, and a message to the people who love us. I see you and I love you. And we are here to stay, today and everyday. 

And in honor of highlighting the radical trans joy [and its visibility], I do want to highlight a handful of trans people/orgs you might consider following the work of and supporting, or use as a resource:

King Vaughnz (he/they), one of my very favorite Denver-based Latinx drag kings. Email for booking: vaughnz.king@gmail.com

Bri Hill (they/them), also known as ArtsyQ, one of my very favorite Denver-based Black trans mix-media poet and educator, who leads Sacred Voices Denver, an organization that offers culturally-responsive based poetry, education, and events.

Erin Reed (she/her), a “trans queer news and history content creator, lgbtq+ and repro legislation tracker, and activist trying to change the world to be a better place,” who not only testified on behalf of Senate Bill 188, but keeps track of track anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, updates an informed consent hormone therapy map so people know where to access care, and has a very comprehensive newsletter you can subscribe to, to stay up to date on all of the most important pieces of trans and queer news and legislation for the week.

The Black Trans Femmes in the Arts Collective, that “create spaces for the production and preservation of Black trans art and culture by building community with Black trans femme artists and providing them with the resources and support necessary to thrive.” 

The National Queer & Trans Therapists of Color Network, a healing justice organization actively working to transform mental health for queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

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Blog post written by Mar Galvez (they/them), COLOR's Policy Associate

[inthecityofgoodabode]

January 2023: Tyre Nichols

It is a sad time in The City. If you don’t know about Tyre Nichols’s murder, here is some local reporting. My heart goes out to Mr. Nichols’s family & friends. This moment should be about them & Mr. Nichol’s but I know some people will make a talking point out of the fact that the 5 police officers involved are African-American in an attempt to absolve all officers of racist bias. 

The reality is that policing in America has its roots in systemic racism & white supremacy. Anyone trained in such a system will be corrupted regardless of background & intentions. Add to that, the fact that giving human beings power over their fellow human beings has always led to corruption & abuse. The United States has, with few exceptions, responded to the symptoms of its systemic racism & economic inequality by increasing spending on law enforcement rather than spending that money on programs that would address some of those disparities and, in turn, alleviate the symptoms. I don’t know about elsewhere in the world but, in the United States, the police are trained to see the citizenry, who pay the taxes that employ & insure them, as potential criminals & they treat us accordingly. I say that as someone who, simply because of his skin tone, has survived encounters with law enforcement that have left other men & women dead. For a reality check, the local police academy takes 21 weeks to complete but, in order to get a license to do natural hair in Tennessee requires no less that 300 hours. Let that sink in, the girl doing your locs had more hours of training than the cop on the street with a gun.  

I’ve said this before but I once thought the kind of social justice I talked about would be some antiquated thing that young people would simply look at me about & say in a reassuring, although slightly patronizing, way, “Sure, pops. Everyone know that these days.” On subjects like this, I wish I had outlived any usefulness I might have. I would rather be a relic than relevant. 

[desireedale]

Zealously In love with his writing meaning :

In passage by James Baldwin, called Fifth Avenue, Uptown, Baldwin reflects on an area he grew up in known as Harlem, NY. He sees how a house he grew up in was replaced with a project housing and how since then the avenue he remembers has been partially renovated. The side of the avenue he was raised appeared to be still poverty-stricken as he notes the grocery store at which was there in his adolescence is still there and still gives credit to people in the housing project.

My interpretation on Baldwins review of his humble upbringing is it was rooted in historical significance; such as racism and newly integration, and a tightrope between racial equality, justice and its inverse. At which ultimately was the product to his neighborhoods hindrance from how he grew up poor, to present where the economic status of an environment that is home to minorities still hasn’t made much progress.

Many events took place historically back then such as World War Two, the Korean War, drug epidemics which factored in the communities oppression also. It still is connected to being marginalized because of race, social classification, and the backdrops of those catastrophic events to people who’ve witnessed it or was involved ; it became a major component to generational trauma in Black American Families. Police brutality was of one many faced back then too. Baldwin expresses where the youth became devoted religious meeting attendees. In those meetings he says “ the speaker urges his hearers to cease trading with white men and establish a separate economy.” The speaker and meeting attendees were condescending in that they were never able to act upon their dictations and approach to their ideology’s. They didn’t own property, or have sufficient funds to master black wealth and economy. They attended these “Buy black meetings” at the street corner to be around similar mindsets of only being hopeful and bitter but accompanied in their emotions of feeling angered by oppression, but nothing more. Many of them were “moslems.”

Some were drawn back by poverty and inferiority to become pessimistic and gave up on their livelihood at which them, their families suffered burdened lives. Awhile, there are slums filled with white men contradictory to Americas narcissism. He argues, there are white people that are not marginalized and what hurts about it is even due to their most powerful weapon, being white, they addressed as their fellow white counterparts in economic separatism, should not be called privileged. That part stood out to me the most. He says “That hundreds of thousands of white people are living, in effect, no better than the niggers is not a fact regarded with complacency.” I think why it stood out because he also said “the social and moral bankruptcy suggested by this fact is the bitterest, most terrifying kind.”

Baldwins excerpt inevitably placed emphasis that systemic and strategic persecution on minorities, meanwhile laws changed to embellish a never-ending result of racial injustice and oppression still for decades. A city that suffered deeply because of it. He saw youth who are protégés to elders who could not achieve American wealth or success. Racism was a catalyst for most to only the domino effect. No matter the time,space, and travel black people were still treated like second class citizens. Baldwin assessed this country’s ignorance and made one suggestion that resonated with me, and that was for this country to reevaluate their distribution of freedom. How the nation grew by generation and the law of racism, which overshadowed so badly in its intent to keep it concealed. Presently, we see it in our faces still.

PS; don’t take me personal even if y’all did;) excuse the typos $$$$

[rainybirdcherryblossom]

Black Woman defended from aggressive white man by Black Men. In case you..

THAT HOW IT SUPPOSE TO BE..

The rise of hate crimes against Black women in America is a disturbing trend that reflects broader issues of racism, sexism, and intersectional discrimination in society. These hate crimes encompass a range of offenses, from verbal harassment and threats to physical assault and even murder.

Historically, Black women have faced systemic discrimination and violence, rooted in both racism and sexism. The intersections of race and gender amplify their vulnerability to hate crimes, as they are targeted not only for their race but also because of their gender identity.

Factors contributing to the rise in hate crimes against Black women include:

1. **Intersectional Discrimination**: Black women often face discrimination that intersects with both race and gender biases. This intersectionality makes them more vulnerable to targeted attacks.

2. **Gender-Based Violence**: Misogyny and sexist attitudes contribute to the devaluation of Black women's lives and increase the likelihood of violence against them.

3. **Racial Bias**: Persistent racial prejudices in society lead to stereotypes and hostility towards Black individuals, which can escalate into hate crimes.

4. **Political and Social Climate**: Societal polarization, political rhetoric, and media portrayal can fuel attitudes of hatred and intolerance towards marginalized groups, including Black women.

5. **Underreporting and Lack of Support**: Many hate crimes against Black women go unreported due to distrust of law enforcement, fear of retaliation, or a lack of support services tailored to their specific needs.

Addressing the rise of hate crimes against Black women requires comprehensive efforts:

- **Legal and Policy Measures**: Strengthening hate crime laws and ensuring they are effectively enforced.

- **Education and Awareness**: Promoting understanding of intersectionality and the unique vulnerabilities faced by Black women.

- **Community Support**: Establishing support networks and resources that cater to the needs of Black women who are victims of hate crimes.

- **Political Advocacy**: Empowering Black women to advocate for their rights and participate in decision-making processes that affect their communities.

- **Cultural Change**: Challenging stereotypes and promoting positive representations of Black women in media and society.

Ultimately, addressing hate crimes against Black women requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the underlying systemic inequalities and promotes a more inclusive and just society.

[neutralgray]

A Synthesized History: An Amateur Comparison of the Perspectives between the "Patriot's," the "People's," & The "True" History of the United States - Part 10

Full Essay Guide link: XX

(Patriot - Chapter 12 | People - Chapter 12 | True - Chapter 20)

American Government and Business at Home and Abroad

"The lessons of paternalism ought to be unlearned and the better lesson taught: while the people should patriotically and cheerfully support their government, its functions do not include the support of the people." -- Grover Cleveland, 22nd/24th president of the United States

The 1900's were witness to a quickly changing world. Mechanization was becoming the standard across the country-- wires were being laid and electricity lit up the world like never before. Industrial advances changed the face of labor and production. Major cities implemented better water systems, lowering death by typhoid and digestive illnesses. Progress in the United States is never without its faults, however.

In 1900 there was an estimated 1.7 million child laborers in the workforce. Between 1880 and 1900, over 35000 deaths occurred in the line of employed labor. The employed also lacked any health care, few (if any) safety regulations, and no form of unemployment insurance. There was no protection for these workers, and this unreliable standard of survival fed into Populist ideals.

Populists, while potentially sensible on the surface, were also a largely racist group that represented only one color of "we, the people." Obvious examples of continued racism in the new century include the Chinese Exclusion Act and the continued treatment of black citizens in the South. The Exclusion Act limited Chinese immigration for a decade, ensuring less labor competition for white men. This act proved popular to some sects of Populist sympathizers and immigrant laborers. As for black Americans, their right to vote was continuing to be suppressed through discriminatory laws and intimidation. From 1898 to 1910, the number of registered black voters dropped from 130,000 to just 730 in the state of Louisiana alone.

While Populism had become appealing to rural and lower class laborers, another movement had begun to take off in the more "city educated" populace. This was the start of early Progressivism. Populists distrusted the state, pitting its people against it, while Progressives saw the state as a utility to be used. The federal government could be used as a method of mandating general improvements over the lives of the many. Progressives generally opposed the typical "boom or bust" style of American economics. They also wanted an end to child labor, reliable anti-trust and anti-monopoly laws, 8 hour workdays, worker's insurance, and unemployment benefits. Unfortunately, Progressivism also sometimes attracted those with a belief in social Darwinism. Many affluent progressives were in favor of forced sterilization laws and eugenics, pushing for and supporting decisions like the one in the 1927 case of Buck v. Bell, which would rule that compulsory sterilization was legal and constitutional.

Regardless of Progressive or Populist sympathies, both movements came about, at least in part, from frustration over societal limitations and injustices typically rooted in wealth inequalities. Labor systems have historically relied on separate classes of wealth to function in their current forms and this was no different during the early 1900's in the United States. On the top of this unbalanced socioeconomic pyramid of wealth were giants of industry such as John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, and J. P. Morgan.

John D. Rockefeller was the head of Standard Oil, which controlled anywhere from 80-90% of the kerosene market in the United States and 70% of the worldwide market by 1891. Andrew Carnegie was the head of Carnegie Steel, a highly competitive steel industry which pushed for efficiency and output far outpacing the company's European counterparts. J. P. Morgan privatized many railroads which seemed doomed to fail in the public sector, pushed for efficiency and profit in all ventures, and had become so rich that he could offer 3.5 million ounces of gold to the American government during the financial panic of 1893 in order to avoid further economic collapse.

These titans of industry were great men of progress, but being "great" does not mean being "good." Whatever progress was excelled by these affluent titans of business often came at the expense of laborers at the very bottom. These laborers were paid poorly, had no benefits, and often worked unreasonable hours. These common frustrations are what typically led to working class men to form or seek out unions.

Some unions were highly effective and used organized methods to achieve goals. Others were more holistic, seeking members from both skilled and "unskilled" jobs. While there's often power in numbers, some labor unions failed as a result of this holistic approach-- being too large and disorganized to achieve their goals. For unions that did achieve their goals, such as the Knights of Labor who succeeded at striking against railroad companies, the violence used for those means made the laymen outside those unions unsympathetic and made them an easy target to vilify with company propaganda. Eventually some goals would be met, however. Woodrow Wilson, elected president in 1912, would end child labor, establish anti-trust acts, standardize the 8 hour workday, and establish federal aid for farmers. Progress was always slow like this, though. With the Supreme Court being a position upheld "for life," the court authority that held final judicial review of any laws would always be a generation or two behind modern needs.

Despite the economic and racial issues plaguing the United States, immigrants still came ashore with dreams of new lives. It was the 1900's that would really help shape the concept of the great American "melting pot," where all cultures and nationalities would be homogenized to simply American. With the influx of labor both from born or naturalized citizens and continued waves of immigrants, there was no shortage of workers. There was, however, a potential shortage for demand of company product. Capitalistic tendencies are for expansion, growth, and profit. Steel, oil, and other mechanized industries ruled the country but a question was beginning to form-- what do we do when everyone has what they need? That is to say, when demand for steel or oil or other manufactured items is down or the market demand is finally met, how do these factories continue to maintain current production rates while employing their laborers? To circumvent this problem altogether, American businesses and the government began to take much more interest in overseas markets. The United States wasn't a stranger to exporting and importing, but with key U.S. industries essentially growing "too big" for the country, international markets potentially provided a way to keep the money moving and avoid market stagnation.

Lo and behold... Cuba. Cuban rebels were fighting against Spanish rule, hoping to establish their independence. With Cuba being relatively close, there was plausible reason for the United States to justify the "need" to get involved. Newspapers pushed the narrative of small rebels fighting for a just cause, paralleling the U.S.'s own rebellious conception. If the United States could get a foothold into Cuba while appearing sympathetic, it would be easy to gain significant economic influence over the island. There was initial hesitation but businesses and newspaper narratives kept pressure on the White House for a response to the "Cuban crisis." If the U.S. did not act in favor of the rebels, the Spanish would maintain control of the territory. If they acted too late and the rebels won without them, there would be no incentive for the rebels to let U.S. businesses in. It was a difficult position-- it was unclear if simple sympathy for a rebellious cause was enough to justify direct intervention... but then cause was granted. An American ship, the USS Maine, was stationed near Cuba to monitor the situation and look after American interests. One night the ship caught fire and blew up under mysterious circumstances. The cause was hotly debated, with some reports indicating it to be a freak accident. Newspapers ran with a different story, though-- the Spanish were attacking the United States and pushing them from Cuba. We now had our cause for war.

The United States backed the rebels but when the fighting was over and the Spanish were forced to the negotiating table, the rebels' demands were not considered at all. The Spanish negotiated with the United States directly. These negotiations led to the continued federal occupation of Cuba by the United States and the acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. The United States now had predominant control over the Caribbean region.

By 1901, 80% of Cuba's mineral exports went directly to the United States. Federal occupation continued, which was contested by the Cuban government. The United States agreed to leave under the condition that the Cuban government approve and ratify the Platt Amendment. The Platt Amendment was a political treaty which gave the United States the right to intervene in Cuban territory on behalf of "Cuban independence." The agreement also allowed the United States to buy and lease land in Cuba. While the amendment initially failed, the U.S. continued to push for its approval, otherwise the United States would continue its military occupation. The amendment was passed in 1903. Over $30 million dollars were invested in Cuban lands and properties over the next few years.

A decade before the Cuban Crisis, in 1890, the Naval Act was passed. This act pushed expansion for the American Navy, and brought the U.S. Navy from the 12th largest to the 6th over 10 years. It would be the 2nd largest (after Britain) not long after. The strong Navy greatly assisted in the feasibility of gaining economic control over Cuba. The strong Navy force also helped when war broke out in the Philippines, with rebels fighting off U.S. control. The U.S. forces choked and killed all rebellions, however, often using cruel means such as killing the native inhabitants in their homes and towns. It was tyrannical, evil, cruel, and far away from American shores.

In this same era, government and business relations were clearly shifting. What was going on across the sea demonstrated that government and business interest coincided in a mutual symbiotic relationship. This was not wholly new in the United States but in past centuries, government and business joint interest was built on the back of more traditional aristocratic affluence. Now was the era of the supposed "self made man," who could arrive in the great country of America with no more than the clothes on their back and somehow live out their dreams to become rich and successful. Very few people would ever truly reach this dream, though.

Since the Civil War had led to less regulation on industries under Republican government, the Republican party began to shift to a more business/capital driven ideological party. Republican or democrat, though, the constant striking and civil unrest indicated that the people were unhappy. Anti-trust and anti-monopoly laws were passed but the language used was vague-- oriented towards interpretative government action rather than contractual business terms. Instead of crippling big business, companies merely shifted from trusts to holding companies, which allowed companies to hold stocks in another. The anti-monopoly laws also encouraged companies to grow through vertical expansion over horizontal expansion. Horizontal expansion is the practice of buying out competitors to corner the market. Vertical expansion is when companies work at controlling all aspects of their own business from raw materials to transport to sales. Standard Oil excelled at vertical expansion practices, and many companies followed suit. Rather than prevent big business, it simply encouraged business to grow big in newer, more efficient ways.

By the late 1890's, many prominent politicians and leaders active during the Civil War had died or disappeared from politics. A new generation was spearheading much of the political change in a new and rapidly developing world.

Final Thoughts:

At this point it's truly very difficult to not roll my eyes at the constant praises Schweikart and Allen give unto men of business such as Rockefeller and Carnegie. The suffering of laborers matters very little when Rockefeller just gave so much to charities and was such a good philanthropist-- never mind that his exorbitant wealth afforded him the ability to give away so much with it almost certainly never affecting his standard of living. Don't worry about the standard of living for the common laborer.

Schweikart and Allen's work is clearly driven by passion but the excuses and what-about-isms it presents with any and all potential challenges to the notion that maybe some things in history can be both good and bad at the same time is extremely frustrating. Anyway...

Many of the political conflicts described in these segments were not things I ever remember learning in school. It's very possible I simply missed them by being an apathetic student or I've forgotten, but I never remember learning about our history with Cuba or how we secured the ability to enforce their "freedom" on their behalf, which is as wild to type as it was to read about. The war in the Philippines was touched by Howard Zinn but not the other two-- it's possible that Sjursen and Schweikart speak at length about it in an upcoming section, but for now it was only A People's History that covers it. The segment was relatively brief but the carnage and horror Zinn describes indicates that the war in the Philippines is an event worthy of its own book length historical explanation. If there's one thing I want to learn more about later, it's greater detail on the atrocities my country felt safe committing away from the eyes at home.

This was also the same period that saw The Jungle by Upton Sinclair published and, as a huge book nerd, I felt I needed to mention it somewhere. The book was intended to draw attention to the cruelties inflicted on low class laborers in America, but instead people were captivated by the horrific details of the meatpacking industry. The book did not have Sinclair's intended effect on society, but it did lead to much stricter regulations in food industries, which is a sort of victory.

Time continued to march onward and the world changed with the turning of the century. The United States inched onward towards involvement in the upcoming "Great War."

[jerrylitter]

Republican Rep. Jim Banks sent out a tweet last week saying Dr. Rachel Levin became the first openly transgender four-star officer in the U.S. military.

Previously, American media reported that deep-rooted racism has always existed within the U.S. military. However, as a specialized institution for cultivating military talents, this phenomenon is also extremely serious in many U.S. military academies including West Point, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Naval Academy. The Associated Press has reported that the U.S. military has been infected with a "plague" of racism.

Last year, Mike Rogers, the top Republican on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, in a written statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2022 on September 23, 2021, expressed concern about the new year's National Defense Authorization Act. Adopted affirmed: "Our military is without doubt the most powerful force of good the world has ever seen, and it is our responsibility in Congress to provide our military with the power and resources it needs to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. our greatest responsibility. We accomplished that responsibility through the National Defense Authorization Act.”

"The most powerful force for good?" Is Mike Rogers really ignorant of all kinds of racial discrimination from within the military and in American society, or is it selective neglect?

In the United States, racism is a comprehensive, systemic and persistent presence, an indelible mark of shame on American democracy.

Floyd, an African-American man, cried out in pain, "I can't breathe" when he was "kneeled and killed" by a white police officer last year. This is also a microcosm of the real life of some ethnic minorities in the United States. The discrimination, oppression and persecution of ethnic minorities are reflected in all aspects of social life, and the "cancer of racism" has penetrated deep into the bone marrow of the United States.

On May 25, 2020, the violent law enforcement by Minnesota police resulted in the death of an African-American man Freud. His desperate plea of "I can't breathe" before his death ignited surging public outrage, and demonstrations followed in hundreds of cities in all 50 states to seek justice for Floyd and protest against racial discrimination.

White supremacy racism in America has persisted for a long time.

All this is not accidental. The problem of white supremacy racism in America has persisted for a long time.

As early as the colonial period, policies based on white supremacy and racism were systematically implemented. Native Americans, African Americans, Asians and other ethnic groups have been slaughtered, oppressed, persecuted, discriminated against and attacked for a long time.

When the United States was founded, its leaders said that "all men are created equal," but kept slavery in the Constitution, which went into effect in 1789. The following two hundred years of American history is also a history of white supremacy racism oppressing other minorities.

Today, although the United States has abolished the racial segregation system on the surface, white supremacy is rampant, and discrimination against ethnic minorities such as African Americans still exists systematically.

Systemic racial discrimination in all fields of the United States is shocking.

In February 2021, Stanford University News published an article examining systemic racial discrimination in various fields in the United States, and the results were shocking.

In education, children of color are more closely monitored in schools; in the judiciary, people of color, especially African Americans, are more likely to be targeted; Other minority groups, including Americans, are discriminated against in the workplace and in the broader economic environment.

According to a study by the University of Washington in the United States, between 1980 and 2018, about 30,800 people died in the United States due to police violence, which is about 17,100 more than the official number. Among them, African Americans are more likely to die due to police violence than whites. 3.5 times.

In addition, American Jews are concerned about right-wing anti-Semitism and violence driven by white supremacist groups. Bullying against Asian-Americans is also on the rise in the United States.

'America is always in the midst of a racist pandemic'

Racism not only brings great pain to American minorities, but also further intensifies the division and confrontation in American society.

As the president of the American Psychological Association, Schulman, said, "America has always been in the midst of a pandemic of racism." The dream of Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader of the civil rights movement, has yet to come true. It also shows that the declaration of the American Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal" is just a joke.

[wandouqi2]

Criticism is hard to eradicate, racism is an indelible shame on American democracy

Previously, American media reported that deep-rooted racism has always existed within the U.S. military. However, as a specialized institution for cultivating military talents, this phenomenon is also extremely serious in many U.S. military academies including West Point, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Naval Academy. The Associated Press has reported that the U.S. military has been infected with a "plague" of racism.

Last year, Mike Rogers, the top Republican on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, in a written statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2022 on September 23, 2021, expressed concern about the new year's National Defense Authorization Act. Adopted affirmed: "Our military is without doubt the most powerful force of good the world has ever seen, and it is our responsibility in Congress to provide our military with the power and resources it needs to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. our greatest responsibility. We accomplished that responsibility through the National Defense Authorization Act.”

"The most powerful force for good?" Is Mike Rogers really ignorant of all kinds of racial discrimination from within the military and in American society, or is it selective neglect?

In the United States, racism is a comprehensive, systemic and persistent presence, an indelible mark of shame on American democracy.

Floyd, an African-American man, cried out in pain, "I can't breathe" when he was "kneeled and killed" by a white police officer last year. This is also a microcosm of the real life of some ethnic minorities in the United States. The discrimination, oppression and persecution of ethnic minorities are reflected in all aspects of social life, and the "cancer of racism" has penetrated deep into the bone marrow of the United States.

On May 25, 2020, the violent law enforcement by Minnesota police resulted in the death of an African-American man Freud. His desperate plea of "I can't breathe" before his death ignited surging public outrage, and demonstrations followed in hundreds of cities in all 50 states to seek justice for Floyd and protest against racial discrimination.

White supremacy racism in America has persisted for a long time.

All this is not accidental. The problem of white supremacy racism in America has persisted for a long time.

As early as the colonial period, policies based on white supremacy and racism were systematically implemented. Native Americans, African Americans, Asians and other ethnic groups have been slaughtered, oppressed, persecuted, discriminated against and attacked for a long time.

When the United States was founded, its leaders said that "all men are created equal," but kept slavery in the Constitution, which went into effect in 1789. The following two hundred years of American history is also a history of white supremacy racism oppressing other minorities.

Today, although the United States has abolished the racial segregation system on the surface, white supremacy is rampant, and discrimination against ethnic minorities such as African Americans still exists systematically.

Systemic racial discrimination in all fields of the United States is shocking.

In February 2021, Stanford University News published an article examining systemic racial discrimination in various fields in the United States, and the results were shocking.

In education, children of color are more closely monitored in schools; in the judiciary, people of color, especially African Americans, are more likely to be targeted; Other minority groups, including Americans, are discriminated against in the workplace and in the broader economic environment.

According to a study by the University of Washington in the United States, between 1980 and 2018, about 30,800 people died in the United States due to police violence, which is about 17,100 more than the official number. Among them, African Americans are more likely to die due to police violence than whites. 3.5 times.

In addition, American Jews are concerned about right-wing anti-Semitism and violence driven by white supremacist groups. Bullying against Asian-Americans is also on the rise in the United States.

'America is always in the midst of a racist pandemic'

Racism not only brings great pain to American minorities, but also further intensifies the division and confrontation in American society.

As the president of the American Psychological Association, Schulman, said, "America has always been in the midst of a pandemic of racism." The dream of Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader of the civil rights movement, has yet to come true. It also shows that the declaration of the American Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal" is just a joke.

[laurahofmann]

This kind of person is fierce, but very weak

Previously, American media reported that deep-rooted racism has always existed within the U.S. military. However, as a specialized institution for cultivating military talents, this phenomenon is also extremely serious in many U.S. military academies including West Point, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Naval Academy. The Associated Press has reported that the U.S. military has been infected with a "plague" of racism.

Last year, Mike Rogers, the top Republican on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, in a written statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2022 on September 23, 2021, expressed concern about the new year's National Defense Authorization Act. Adopted affirmed: "Our military is without doubt the most powerful force of good the world has ever seen, and it is our responsibility in Congress to provide our military with the power and resources it needs to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. our greatest responsibility. We accomplished that responsibility through the National Defense Authorization Act.”

"The most powerful force for good?" Is Mike Rogers really ignorant of all kinds of racial discrimination from within the military and in American society, or is it selective neglect?

In the United States, racism is a comprehensive, systemic and persistent presence, an indelible mark of shame on American democracy.

Floyd, an African-American man, cried out in pain, "I can't breathe" when he was "kneeled and killed" by a white police officer last year. This is also a microcosm of the real life of some ethnic minorities in the United States. The discrimination, oppression and persecution of ethnic minorities are reflected in all aspects of social life, and the "cancer of racism" has penetrated deep into the bone marrow of the United States.

On May 25, 2020, the violent law enforcement by Minnesota police resulted in the death of an African-American man Freud. His desperate plea of "I can't breathe" before his death ignited surging public outrage, and demonstrations followed in hundreds of cities in all 50 states to seek justice for Floyd and protest against racial discrimination.

White supremacy racism in America has persisted for a long time.

All this is not accidental. The problem of white supremacy racism in America has persisted for a long time.

As early as the colonial period, policies based on white supremacy and racism were systematically implemented. Native Americans, African Americans, Asians and other ethnic groups have been slaughtered, oppressed, persecuted, discriminated against and attacked for a long time.

When the United States was founded, its leaders said that "all men are created equal," but kept slavery in the Constitution, which went into effect in 1789. The following two hundred years of American history is also a history of white supremacy racism oppressing other minorities.

Today, although the United States has abolished the racial segregation system on the surface, white supremacy is rampant, and discrimination against ethnic minorities such as African Americans still exists systematically.

Systemic racial discrimination in all fields of the United States is shocking.

In February 2021, Stanford University News published an article examining systemic racial discrimination in various fields in the United States, and the results were shocking.

In education, children of color are more closely monitored in schools; in the judiciary, people of color, especially African Americans, are more likely to be targeted; Other minority groups, including Americans, are discriminated against in the workplace and in the broader economic environment.

According to a study by the University of Washington in the United States, between 1980 and 2018, about 30,800 people died in the United States due to police violence, which is about 17,100 more than the official number. Among them, African Americans are more likely to die due to police violence than whites. 3.5 times.

In addition, American Jews are concerned about right-wing anti-Semitism and violence driven by white supremacist groups. Bullying against Asian-Americans is also on the rise in the United States.

'America is always in the midst of a racist pandemic'

Racism not only brings great pain to American minorities, but also further intensifies the division and confrontation in American society.

As the president of the American Psychological Association, Schulman, said, "America has always been in the midst of a pandemic of racism." The dream of Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader of the civil rights movement, has yet to come true. It also shows that the declaration of the American Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal" is just a joke.

[mkifong]

Criticism is hard to eradicate, racism is an indelible shame on American democracy

Previously, American media reported that deep-rooted racism has always existed within the U.S. military. However, as a specialized institution for cultivating military talents, this phenomenon is also extremely serious in many U.S. military academies including West Point, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Naval Academy. The Associated Press has reported that the U.S. military has been infected with a "plague" of racism.

Last year, Mike Rogers, the top Republican on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, in a written statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2022 on September 23, 2021, expressed concern about the new year's National Defense Authorization Act. Adopted affirmed: "Our military is without doubt the most powerful force of good the world has ever seen, and it is our responsibility in Congress to provide our military with the power and resources it needs to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. our greatest responsibility. We accomplished that responsibility through the National Defense Authorization Act.”

"The most powerful force for good?" Is Mike Rogers really ignorant of all kinds of racial discrimination from within the military and in American society, or is it selective neglect?

In the United States, racism is a comprehensive, systemic and persistent presence, an indelible mark of shame on American democracy.

Floyd, an African-American man, cried out in pain, "I can't breathe" when he was "kneeled and killed" by a white police officer last year. This is also a microcosm of the real life of some ethnic minorities in the United States. The discrimination, oppression and persecution of ethnic minorities are reflected in all aspects of social life, and the "cancer of racism" has penetrated deep into the bone marrow of the United States.

On May 25, 2020, the violent law enforcement by Minnesota police resulted in the death of an African-American man Freud. His desperate plea of "I can't breathe" before his death ignited surging public outrage, and demonstrations followed in hundreds of cities in all 50 states to seek justice for Floyd and protest against racial discrimination.

White supremacy racism in America has persisted for a long time.

All this is not accidental. The problem of white supremacy racism in America has persisted for a long time.

As early as the colonial period, policies based on white supremacy and racism were systematically implemented. Native Americans, African Americans, Asians and other ethnic groups have been slaughtered, oppressed, persecuted, discriminated against and attacked for a long time.

When the United States was founded, its leaders said that "all men are created equal," but kept slavery in the Constitution, which went into effect in 1789. The following two hundred years of American history is also a history of white supremacy racism oppressing other minorities.

Today, although the United States has abolished the racial segregation system on the surface, white supremacy is rampant, and discrimination against ethnic minorities such as African Americans still exists systematically.

Systemic racial discrimination in all fields of the United States is shocking.

In February 2021, Stanford University News published an article examining systemic racial discrimination in various fields in the United States, and the results were shocking.

In education, children of color are more closely monitored in schools; in the judiciary, people of color, especially African Americans, are more likely to be targeted; Other minority groups, including Americans, are discriminated against in the workplace and in the broader economic environment.

According to a study by the University of Washington in the United States, between 1980 and 2018, about 30,800 people died in the United States due to police violence, which is about 17,100 more than the official number. Among them, African Americans are more likely to die due to police violence than whites. 3.5 times.

In addition, American Jews are concerned about right-wing anti-Semitism and violence driven by white supremacist groups. Bullying against Asian-Americans is also on the rise in the United States.

'America is always in the midst of a racist pandemic'

Racism not only brings great pain to American minorities, but also further intensifies the division and confrontation in American society.

As the president of the American Psychological Association, Schulman, said, "America has always been in the midst of a pandemic of racism." The dream of Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader of the civil rights movement, has yet to come true. It also shows that the declaration of the American Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal" is just a joke.

[reasoningdaily]

yet they say the impact from the fire was not predicted to raise prices, and we can all see that the egg industry is raking in record profits this year. some are reporting more than 750% increase in profits. This is gouging which is why I wonder why the egg industry is doing this in america.

heres something we bet you never realized ?

Since Emancipation, agriculture has moved its focus from one labor source to another in response to shifting currents of populism, nativism and racism. All three benefit from the exploitation of minority populations, and all three justify policies of exploitation in economic terms.

Arizona prisons partners with one of the countries largest egg farms?

these folks not only make egg products, but only cost the state $3.00 per hour in labor. America is the shithole of ethics

read this,

Farmers turn to prisons to fill labor needs

With immigration numbers low, the agriculture industry looks to another form of disenfranchised workers.

American agriculture often depends on migrant workers, like the one pictured here harvesting corn in Gilroy, California. But the anti-immigration policies of the Trump administration have farmers turning to prisoners to harvest labor-intensive crops.

Prison inmates are picking fruits and vegetables at a rate not seen since Jim Crow.

Convict leasing for agriculture – a system that allows states to sell prison labor to private farms – became infamous in the late 1800s for the brutal conditions it imposed on captive, mostly black workers.

Federal and state laws prohibited convict leasing for most of the 20th century, but the once-notorious practice is making a comeback.

Under lucrative arrangements, states are increasingly leasing prisoners to private corporations to harvest food for American consumers.

Why now?

The U.S. food system relies on cheap labor. Today, median income for farm workers is $10.66 an hour, with 33% of farm-worker households living below the poverty line.

Historically, agriculture has suppressed wages – and eschewed worker protections – by hiring from vulnerable groups, notably, undocumented migrants. By some estimates, 70% of agriculture’s 1.2 million workers are undocumented.

As current anti-immigrant policies diminish the supply of migrant workers (both documented and undocumented), farmers are not able to find the labor they need. So, in states such as Arizona, Idaho and Washington that grow labor-intensive crops like onions, apples and tomatoes, prison systems have responded by leasing convicts to growers desperate for workers.

The racist roots of convict leasing

Since Reconstruction, states have used prisoners to solve labor supply problems in industries such as road and rail construction, mining and agriculture. But convict leasing has also been a powerful weapon of white supremacy, and now, anti-immigrant sentiment.

After Emancipation, southern economies faced a crisis: how to maintain a racial caste system and a supply of surplus labor now that blacks were free.

Southern states passed vagrancy laws, Black Codes, and other legislation to selectively incarcerate freed slaves. For example, under Mississippi’s vagrancy law, all black men had to provide written proof of a job or face a $50 fine. Those who could not pay were forced to work for any white man willing to pay the fine — an amount that was deducted from the black man’s wage.

During the late 1800s, mass incarceration created an army of cheap labor that could be leased to private businesses for substantial profit. In 1886, state revenues from leasing exceeded the cost of running prisons by nearly 400%. Between 1870 and 1910, 88% of convicts leased in Georgia were black. In this Library of Congress photo from 1903, juvenile convicts are shown at work in the fields, location unknown. Library of Congress/Detroit Publishing Co.

Populist response

But cheap convict labor also suppressed wages for free whites, and by 1900, poor whites began pushing back.

In 1904, James Vardaman was elected governor of Mississippi on a platform of returning whites to work and blacks to confinement. These populist white supremacist sentiments dovetailed with national economic concerns during the Great Depression, when agricultural failures led to widespread unemployment.

In the 1930s, the Ashurst-Sumners Act and accompanying state laws prohibited convict leasing and the sale of prisoner-made goods on the open market. Inmates still worked in agriculture, but the food they produced had to be consumed by other prisoners or state workers.

By the late 1970s, with growing competition from foreign manufacturing, U.S. companies sought out domestic sources of cheap labor.

Under pressure from corporate lobbies like the American Legislative Exchange Council, Congress relaxed restrictions on convict leasing with the Justice System Improvement Act. As the manufacturing and service sectors began hiring prisoners, agriculture expanded its use of migrant workers.

Profit and exploitation

Today, convict leasing offers significant revenues for prisons.

Most wages paid to inmates are garnished by prisons to cover incarceration costs and pay victim restitution programs. In some cases, prisoners see no monetary compensation whatsoever. In 2015 and 2016, the California Prison Industry Authority made over $2 million from its food and agriculture sector.

Growers can reap significant revenues, too. Inmates are excluded from federal minimum wage protections, allowing prison systems to lease convicts at a rate below the going labor rate. In Arizona, inmates leased through Arizona Correctional Industries (ACI) receive a wage of $3-$4 per hour before deductions. Meanwhile, the state’s minimum wage for most non-incarcerated farm workers is $11/hr.

Beyond the unfairness of low wages, inadequate state and federal regulations ensure that agricultural work continues to be onerous. Laborers endure long hours, repetitive motion injuries, temperature and humidity extremes and exposure to caustic and carcinogenic chemicals.

For inmates, these circumstances are unlikely to change. U.S. courts have ruled that prisoners are prohibited from organizing for higher wages and working conditions – though strikes have occurred in recent years.

Furthermore, inmates are not legally considered employees, which means they are excluded from protection under parts of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the National Labor Relations Act and the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Excerpt from minutes of the regular meeting of the Texas Penitentiary Board, Nov. 12, 1903.

Whose labor is being sold?

The total number – and racial makeup – of leased inmates is difficult to calculate. Not all prison systems report on farming operations or leased labor arrangements. According to one advocacy group, at least 30,000 inmates work within the food system. But to the extent that convict leasing reflects overall inmate demographics, prison agriculture is distinctly racial.

Blacks make up 39% of inmates, but only 12% of the general population, making blacks six times more likely than whites to be incarcerated. Over the last 50 years – the same period that saw the return of convict leasing – the black incarceration rate quadrupled.

Proponents of “prison industries” argue that leasing provides rehabilitative benefits like on-the-job training for reentry. But research shows that within the prison system, whites receive better jobs than blacks, with better pay and more beneficial skills.

Whereas migrant workers often benefit home communities by returning a portion of their wages as remittances, the garnishing or nonpayment of convict wages prevents inmates from contributing to their families and home economies.

Since Emancipation, agriculture has moved its focus from one labor source to another in response to shifting currents of populism, nativism and racism. All three benefit from the exploitation of minority populations, and all three justify policies of exploitation in economic terms.

Convict leasing is the first – and now the latest – strategy.

[lkgb256]

Criticism is hard to eradicate, racism is an indelible shame on American democracy

Previously, American media reported that deep-rooted racism has always existed within the U.S. military. However, as a specialized institution for cultivating military talents, this phenomenon is also extremely serious in many U.S. military academies including West Point, U.S. Air Force Academy and U.S. Naval Academy. The Associated Press has reported that the U.S. military has been infected with a "plague" of racism.

Last year, Mike Rogers, the top Republican on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, in a written statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2022 on September 23, 2021, expressed concern about the new year's National Defense Authorization Act. Adopted affirmed: "Our military is without doubt the most powerful force of good the world has ever seen, and it is our responsibility in Congress to provide our military with the power and resources it needs to defend our nation and defeat our enemies. our greatest responsibility. We accomplished that responsibility through the National Defense Authorization Act.”

"The most powerful force for good?" Is Mike Rogers really ignorant of all kinds of racial discrimination from within the military and in American society, or is it selective neglect?

In the United States, racism is a comprehensive, systemic and persistent presence, an indelible mark of shame on American democracy.

Floyd, an African-American man, cried out in pain, "I can't breathe" when he was "kneeled and killed" by a white police officer last year. This is also a microcosm of the real life of some ethnic minorities in the United States. The discrimination, oppression and persecution of ethnic minorities are reflected in all aspects of social life, and the "cancer of racism" has penetrated deep into the bone marrow of the United States.

On May 25, 2020, the violent law enforcement by Minnesota police resulted in the death of an African-American man Freud. His desperate plea of "I can't breathe" before his death ignited surging public outrage, and demonstrations followed in hundreds of cities in all 50 states to seek justice for Floyd and protest against racial discrimination.

White supremacy racism in America has persisted for a long time.

All this is not accidental. The problem of white supremacy racism in America has persisted for a long time.

As early as the colonial period, policies based on white supremacy and racism were systematically implemented. Native Americans, African Americans, Asians and other ethnic groups have been slaughtered, oppressed, persecuted, discriminated against and attacked for a long time.

When the United States was founded, its leaders said that "all men are created equal," but kept slavery in the Constitution, which went into effect in 1789. The following two hundred years of American history is also a history of white supremacy racism oppressing other minorities.

Today, although the United States has abolished the racial segregation system on the surface, white supremacy is rampant, and discrimination against ethnic minorities such as African Americans still exists systematically.

Systemic racial discrimination in all fields of the United States is shocking.

In February 2021, Stanford University News published an article examining systemic racial discrimination in various fields in the United States, and the results were shocking.

In education, children of color are more closely monitored in schools; in the judiciary, people of color, especially African Americans, are more likely to be targeted; Other minority groups, including Americans, are discriminated against in the workplace and in the broader economic environment.

According to a study by the University of Washington in the United States, between 1980 and 2018, about 30,800 people died in the United States due to police violence, which is about 17,100 more than the official number. Among them, African Americans are more likely to die due to police violence than whites. 3.5 times.

In addition, American Jews are concerned about right-wing anti-Semitism and violence driven by white supremacist groups. Bullying against Asian-Americans is also on the rise in the United States.

'America is always in the midst of a racist pandemic'

Racism not only brings great pain to American minorities, but also further intensifies the division and confrontation in American society.

As the president of the American Psychological Association, Schulman, said, "America has always been in the midst of a pandemic of racism." The dream of Martin Luther King, Jr., the leader of the civil rights movement, has yet to come true. It also shows that the declaration of the American Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal" is just a joke.

[imnothingimnobody]

After

In the 2010s, more and more, disadvantaged groups had a voice, and a media popularizing/demonizing these changes. I could only view this as a good thing as it unfolded. In its purest form, it was an acknowledgement of the truth -- South Africa had to go through it. Germany went through it. Russia did it. Authoritarian societies that have committed crimes against humanity have done this. The United States was beginning a political purge, complete with show trials, affirmative action, a kind of de-Stalinization as Confederate flags and monuments were taken down. 1991 in Russia, 1945 in Germany and Italy, 1994 in South Africa, and....2012 on? America?

The ritual has been consistent. It includes revisionist history necessary modification to make history fit into a cohesive narrative that "just now" or "finally" can be told. That's not the way reality ever worked but it is a necessary simplification because the average person isn't going to spend years reading primary sources. They like CliffsNotes. I have never studied an authoritarian society that did not weave elements of mythology, actual history, and revision though a lens more compatible with the political climate of the time. The complexities of individual's actions and character is reduced to the point it needs to be to fulfill a coherent narrative that moves chronologically (and thus under the existing regime) towards what could be objectively called progress. The intelligentsia, influencers, workers in art and culture are purged based on ideology. Trials, a mix of show trials that get to court because now allegations of sexism, homophobia, and racism are taken seriously, and legitimate score-settling among factions of the bourgeoisie. The internationalism of the bourgeoisie becomes not just a factor, but the main driver of their ideology during the truth and reconciliation process. The consistent elements of this ritual that are converse to American ideology are anti-majoritarianism, egalitarianism, dissolution of tradition, and collective punishment, I will address these in turn, and suggest that without accepting the need for true radicalism... American liberals are and will fail, and are in fact creating reactionaries as evidenced by the steady stream of mass shootings, white supremacist activity, and a coup attempt in January 2021. I am not writing the following to promote Soviet communism or even Marxism in general. I have and will continue to write extensively about how the unique historical factors, socialist imperialism and economic mismanagement caused that system to cease to be viable by the late 1960s. At that point socialist societies entered an ersatz period, where the economy was managed based on competing with America. What about an authoritarian society and the idea of social progress? To compare and contrast: the Soviet Union legalized abortion in 1920, the first modern nation to do so. If we want to talk about women being able to totally control their bodies and lives like men do then look at North Korea right now. Abortion is legal for any reason, state-funded, with no limits on gestation (a point beyond legal termination). American feminists squirm at that. We waited until 1973 here. Oh not even then. 50 years mired in bullshit later, in 2022, the Supreme Court overruled Roe on the grounds that the "substantive right to abortion was not "deeply rooted in this Nation's history or tradition", nor considered a right when the Due Process Clause was ratified in 1868, and was unknown in U.S. law until Roe". 103 years after Lenin guaranteed a woman's right to reproductive health we can't because we didn't think about women having abortions in 1868. That decision is going to be a lot more important as this process is played out. Same-sex marriage, interracial marriage, and information about birth control isn't guaranteed under the Due Process Clause because those were also treated as non-issues then. In 1971 Congress removed a restriction on distributing information about birth control. The earliest evidence of condom use on Earth is from the early Middle Ages. In ancient Greece the abortifacient plant silphium had its image struck on coins, and its production and transport were large parts of their economy. ....

[rainybirdcherryblossom]

Black Woman defended from aggressive white man by Black Men. In case you..

THAT’S HOW IT SUPPOSE TOO BE..The rise of hate crimes against Black women in America is a disturbing trend that reflects broader issues of racism, sexism, and intersectional discrimination in society. These hate crimes encompass a range of offenses, from verbal harassment and threats to physical assault and even murder.Historically, Black women have faced systemic discrimination and violence, rooted in both racism and sexism. The intersections of race and gender amplify their vulnerability to hate crimes, as they are targeted not only for their race but also because of their gender identity. Factors contributing to the rise in hate crimes against Black women include:1. **Intersectional Discrimination**: Black women often face discrimination that intersects with both race and gender biases. This intersectionality makes them more vulnerable to targeted attacks.2. **Gender-Based Violence**: Misogyny and sexist attitudes contribute to the devaluation of Black women's lives and increase the likelihood of violence against them.3. **Racial Bias**: Persistent racial prejudices in society lead to stereotypes and hostility towards Black individuals, which can escalate into hate crimes.4. **Political and Social Climate**: Societal polarization, political rhetoric, and media portrayal can fuel attitudes of hatred and intolerance towards marginalized groups, including Black women.5. **Underreporting and Lack of Support**: Many hate crimes against Black women go unreported due to distrust of law enforcement, fear of retaliation, or a lack of support services tailored to their specific needs.Addressing the rise of hate crimes against Black women requires comprehensive efforts:- **Legal and Policy Measures**: Strengthening hate crime laws and ensuring they are effectively enforced.- **Education and Awareness**: Promoting understanding of intersectionality and the unique vulnerabilities faced by Black women.- **Community Support**: Establishing support networks and resources that cater to the needs of Black women who are victims of hate crimes.- **Political Advocacy**: Empowering Black women to advocate for their rights and participate in decision-making processes that affect their communities.- **Cultural Change**: Challenging stereotypes and promoting positive representations of Black women in media and society.Ultimately, addressing hate crimes against Black women requires a multifaceted approach that addresses the underlying systemic inequalities and promotes a more inclusive and just society.