Hate Crimes Against African Americans
African Americans have suffered and struggled throughout their history due to a variation of factors. One main factor involved in causing this is due to the racial prejudice and hate crimes perpetrated against them. In the United States, there have been movements and laws to protect these individuals from such acts of hatred; but injustice continues today as it has in past years. Although, hate crimes are against the law, individuals continue to commit hate crimes against African Americans. Hate crimes are "crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, including where appropriate the crimes of murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, aggravated assault, simple assault, intimidation,
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On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation after stating to the Confederate states to return to their allegiance to the Union. Otherwise, their slaves were to be declared free men. The proclamation was issue after the Confederate states did not return. A deathblow to slavery in the United States was dealt. Then in 1865, the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment further sealed this event. The Emancipation Proclamation was the first law to aid Africa-origin individuals in the abolishment of slavery and human rights. The proclamation also brought forth the ability of the Union to recruit black soldiers; thousands enlisted during the remainder of the war. After the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery, other struggles for African-origin people took form, violation of civil right along with segregation and hate …show more content…
In recent years, one prime example is the death of James Byrd, Jr., who on June 7, 1998, was found dead in a secluded area in the woods in Jasper, Texas. The murderers were later revealed as three white males who were involved with a white supremacist organization. These men also had tattoos symbolizing their beliefs in white supremacy. The white men chained Byrd to the back of their pickup truck and dragged his body along a rough dirt road. When his body was found, his head and right arm were missing. Within a week of this incident, two copycat crimes occurred. On June 12th, in Belleville, Illinois, three white youths called a black teenager over to a sport utility vehicle grabbed him and dragged him alongside the vehicle. The victim stated that the assailants attempted to pull out his eye while they shouted racial slurs at him. Then on June 14th, in Slidell, Louisiana, a Black man reported that three white men dragged him beside a car for two blocks as they scorned him with racial slurs (Walker, 1994 p. 33). These are examples of hate crimes that are committed against African Americans because the perpetrators believed that they are infesting American society and want to get rid of them so they can cleanse
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation after stating to the Confederate states to return to their allegiance to the Union. Otherwise, their slaves were to be declared free men. The proclamation was issue after the Confederate states did not return. A deathblow to slavery in the United States was dealt. Then in 1865, the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment further sealed this event. The Emancipation Proclamation was the first law to aid Africa-origin individuals in the abolishment of slavery and human rights. The proclamation also brought forth the ability of the Union to recruit black soldiers; thousands enlisted during the remainder of the war. After the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery, other struggles for African-origin people took form, violation of civil right along with segregation and hate …show more content…
In recent years, one prime example is the death of James Byrd, Jr., who on June 7, 1998, was found dead in a secluded area in the woods in Jasper, Texas. The murderers were later revealed as three white males who were involved with a white supremacist organization. These men also had tattoos symbolizing their beliefs in white supremacy. The white men chained Byrd to the back of their pickup truck and dragged his body along a rough dirt road. When his body was found, his head and right arm were missing. Within a week of this incident, two copycat crimes occurred. On June 12th, in Belleville, Illinois, three white youths called a black teenager over to a sport utility vehicle grabbed him and dragged him alongside the vehicle. The victim stated that the assailants attempted to pull out his eye while they shouted racial slurs at him. Then on June 14th, in Slidell, Louisiana, a Black man reported that three white men dragged him beside a car for two blocks as they scorned him with racial slurs (Walker, 1994 p. 33). These are examples of hate crimes that are committed against African Americans because the perpetrators believed that they are infesting American society and want to get rid of them so they can cleanse