Leave it to a white Republican to defend an old slavery legislation. Ind. Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith is catching heat after he took to social media in an attempted “gotcha” moment.
Instead, things backfired on him when he chose to defend one pro-slavery law that still haunts the Black community to this day. So, what did Beckwith say and why was he wrong as can possibly be? Let’s break it down.
What Did He Say, Exactly?
On Thursday (April 24), Democrats in the Indiana Senate compared a bill to get rid of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education to the Three-Fifths Compromise. Although the GOP led legislation was ultimately passed in both the Senate and House, according to Fox News, the debate prompted Beckwith to run to social media, calling the Three-Fifths Compromise “a great move.”
He said on X, “I would like to share with you the Three-Fifths Compromise is not a pro-discrimination compromise.” Beckwith went on to defend the agreement saying, “Know your history. Go back and study the documents. Read them for yourself like I have.”
He continued, “You will find that the Three-Fifths Compromise and many other things like that were designed to make sure that justice was equal for all people and equality really meant equality for all.”
The almost four-minute rant continued, “This was a great move by the North to make sure that slavery would be eradicated in our nation.” Beckwith added, “They knew what they were doing. But now here you have Senate Democrats in today’s American Republic who do not understand that.”
What Is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
We all learned about the Three-Fifths Compromise in school, but clearly some of us were paying more attention than others. The agreement came about during the 1781 Constitutional Convention and determined how enslaved people would be represented in Congress.
Because chattel slavery was so prominent in the south, many southern states wanted their slaves to count towards the census data. Higher numbers in the census meant southern states could hold more seats in Congress, compared to the densely populated North. Eventually, the North and South agreed slaves, who were viewed as property at the time, would be counted as three-fifths of a human being, according to Harvard University, hence the Three-Fifths Compromise.
It wasn’t until the end of the Civil War in 1865 and the creation of the Reconstruction Amendments that the Three-Fifths Compromise was abolished, alongside slavery. But centuries later, the deal is still a reminder of the horrific impact of slavery’s past.
Why Is Beckwith Wrong?
No matter how you slice it, the Three-Fifths Compromise was about slavery. But more than just that, it reenforced the dehumanization of Black bodies and codified slavery for almost the next full century.
Even experts like Alex Lichtenstein, a history professor at Indiana University, described Beckwith’s video as “a confusion between intention and long-term consequences.” He told the Indiana Capital Chronicle, “The intention of the compromise was, quite frankly, to sell out Black people. That is to lock them into slavery for longer term in the interest of creating the union.”
Lichtenstein continued adding, “The argument that the Three-Fifths Compromise was actually passed with the intention of destroying or undermining slavery is just, frankly, laughable.” Local religious groups and politicians also called Beckwith out for romanticizing slavery’s dark past, according to Fox 59 News.
Why Does it Matter?
At a time when the removal of important Black figures, like Jackie Robinson and the Tuskegee Airmen, is being facilitated by the U.S. government, Beckwith’s words are more than just historically inaccurate...they’re dangerous. Many view his video as an attempt to “rewrite” American history, and the potential consequences should have all Americans, especially Black folks, worried.