Thread by @DirkSchwenk

I am most of the way through #1619Project. One of the main points it makes is that our American democracy has never been fair, but that Black Americans have continued to fight for it nevertheless.

For a brief time in the South following the Civil War, Blacks were able to make a meaningful impact at the polls, including sending the first ever Black US Senator Hiram Revels of Mississippi.

This progress ended - despite Constitutional guarantees - when President Jackson withdrew federal troops from the South, leaving Black populations to suffer white vigilantism, lynchings, voting restrictions passed into law, and the effective end to their voting franchise.

Speaking of Jackson - he is also responsible for the trail of tears and other genocidal activities - and the favorite ex of TFG. Which should have been a bigger story than it was, but I am sure it resonated in Black and Native communities. indianz.com/News/2017/03/1…

#1619project does a great job in pointing out that the strategies used by White southerners to eliminate Black votes post-Reconstruction are the same ones being used by modern Republicans to disenfranchise Black and liberal voters in 2022.

Restrictive laws; dirty tricks; political violence; threats; law enforcement being corrupted ... this shit isn't new. Its the same-old thing in the slave-holding South. Same old for everyone convicted of Weed "crimes". Same for Blacks ghetto-ized in the North.

The hopeful part of the #1619project is that Black americans have continued to fight for right to vote (and otherwise participate as full citizens) for 400 years. They've done this despite actually knowing the history of political violence and discrimination that I didn't know.

And so, the next time you read a despair tweet about how ________ isn't good enough, and voting doesn't matter anymore, remember this. Mississippi elected a Black US Senator in 1870. That accomplishment was stolen back by the forces of evil using the same strategies as Trumpism

Black Americans have continued to organize voters; have continued to serve in the US military; have continued to strive to reach the promise of an inclusive American Democracy. That is inspiring stuff.

This is an election year. We are faced with the same forces of evil and violence against Democracy that have always plagued our nation. Let's do the work to achieve the vision: One person, one vote. All people created equal.

If you dig this kind of thing, I always appreciate a follow. I try to make sense without participating in the twitter rage of the day. I may occasionally spam my band @dirkandthetruth

And so it has been pointed out that several US presidents participated in pulling US troops and ending the reconstruction, and that the most clear culprit is Hayes. Noted. I have - as always - much to learn. Jackson was still a POS.