The news about Mississippi failing until this year to ratify the 13th Amendment, banning slavery, just got more interesting.
Commenter @Sylvain writes about having worked as a journalist covering then Mississippi Secretary of State Dick Molpus, who took the heat for failing to send in the paperwork after the legislature voted for ratification in 1995. Nationally, Molpus looked like the white, Southern Secretary of State who messed up the anti-slavery amendement. But at home in Mississippi, Molpus is known for having taken a stand for equality and justice in a way that cost him politically. @Sylvain notes his record on that, and writes:
As for this registration issue, yes, in the end, the buck stops with him. But if you get the chance to visit a secretary of state's office, you will see that it's more than one guy and maybe a secretary or two. It's a huge operation charged with such tasks as certifying corporations and securing business filings. Go one day and get an education.
@Sylvain's point -- that a Secretary of State's office is not just one person -- turns out to be quite salient. Reporter Jerry Mitchell of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger circled back yesterday for an interview with the Assistant Secretary of State who says she mailed in the paperwork, and if you want to blame anyone, blame her. Constance Slaughter-Harvey was herself a veteran of the Civil Rights movement. From Mitchell's post:
She distinctly remembers sending in the final paperwork in 1995 to have the 13th Amendment ratified, she said. ”That was taken care of. That was important to me.”
Below, video of Slaughter-Henry talking about integrating the law school at Ole Miss. You can see why she's a local legend, and why she didn't come this far not to mail in that paperwork. What went wrong is still a mystery, for now, but I suspect we're getting closer.
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Great story, Laura! This is fascinating.
Obviously, someone messep up somewhere in Mississippi. But what about someone or some people higher up in Congress? After the 1995 ratification, should Congress then have been insisting that Mississippi help complete the certification? And what about the press and the U.S. population? Stange indeed that this one slipped between the cracks for so long... twice!
@Nelson, that's an interesting way to look at it. I have to go back through the history more and see what, if any, response the news of Mississippi's 1995 got in Washington, D.C.
So tell me, are they now going to enforce the law and free all those slaves working the night shift in the casino?
This kind of story is a good relativistic anecdote to the greater story, or question, of why racism truly exist, which no one, especially in mainstream media, is willing to answer.
"Black folks don't have a problem. White folks got a problem!....Black folks problem is that white folks got a problem"! That problem is white supremacy. -- Opening line from "Hidden Colors II"
Racism,religious differences,and all the other crap that causes jock itch is derived from a need to feel superior i.e. making God in our image, Calling Muslims heathens, laying claim to knowledge that we stole from other civilizations and going to war over straight versus gay(I know its not a versus situation but do they?)
To expect low flying birds to overcome the peaks is asking a lot. So we pardon them their ignorance as we admire our own intellect and compassion.
People still hiding their crimes and get things their own way, regardless of the advancements made toward equality.
Racial equality is still debated, but it should not take so long. We know people still feel privilege and superior, but the law is not behind them.
They try to keep things unbalanced in their favor, but laws are supposed to be equal for all. Race is the most glaring. Authoritarians trying to keep it.
We should not have had any of these road blocks. We still have the issues and people trying to deny and protect their privilege.
There are still people trying to block this kind of progress. I applaud the progress, but it took how long to get this far? People are still trying to get up that mountain.
Wait a second. Does this mean that the paperwork for the State of Mississippi to ratify the 13th Amendment of the United States was lost in the mail?!?!?
Next time, hire a courier!