reconstruction era
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‘Slavery Has Never Been Properly Addressed’: Reparations Bill Reintroduced to Congress
On Juneteenth in 2019, lawmakers met with Black activists and scholars to discuss H.R. 40—a bill to create a reparations commission to examine the impact of slavery and the possibility of compensation for the descendants of enslaved Africans—during a hearing by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. But way…
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Voting Rights Activists Push Congress to Make Substantial Election Reforms as GOP-Led States File Over 100 Bills to Restrict Voting Access
Republicans love to talk about freedom, liberty, constitutional rights and all that, but a simple look at their actions shows that all that talk is just talk. GOP-led states have filed over 100 pieces of legislation to restrict voting access, leading voting activists to implore Congress to enact voting reforms at the federal level. According…
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Netflix and Will Smith Team Up for a New Docuseries, Amend: The Fight for America
On Tuesday, Netflix announced its latest project from actor, producer, and America’s freshest prince Will Smith and producer and comedian Larry Wilmore. In a press release sent to The Root, the six-part docuseries titled Amend: The Fight for America, aims to “enlighten, entertain and challenge what Americans know about the Fourteenth Amendment and the unwavering…
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Tracing Your Roots: What Did Freedom Bring for My Ancestor?
Post-Civil War records point to a common fate for many African Americans after emancipation. Dear Professor Gates: I’m searching for any information on my third great-grandfather Hardy Dykes, who was born in 1843. I assume that he was born in or near Hawkinsville, Ga. The only record I could find on him was in the…