The
Africa Americans politics has a long and painful history in the US. Since, the
blacks were slaves; they were locked out of the political process.
Nevertheless, slaves used to have clandestine meetings to fashion a political
role among them. For instance, in New England, African Americans conducted
polls where they elected their own governors and other leaders in their festive
(Barr, 1996). In the colonial period, free black people tried to enter into
political process when they saw an opportunity, though their significance in
the entire process was curtailed. In effect, these individuals were playing a
very insignificant part in the entire process.
Notably, at the end of the American
Revolution, the free Africa Americans voting was greatly restricted. The whites
were not allowing the blacks to participate in the election as either the
candidates or even the voters. Nevertheless, the act made most of the Africans
America to come up with various techniques to accord them freedom to
participate in voting. They include but not limited to petitions, organization
at the communities level, newspapers and other activities. In the long last,
the antebellum convention movement enabled all the black people to express
themselves freely in the political realm (Rael, 2002). The same movement was
foundation to the blacks having an input in the national reform. They channel
their grievances through black people committees and organizations. Some of the
requests of the movements were through their leaders such as Frederick Douglas
who pushed for black people to own fire arms like their white counterparts.
references
Barr, A.
(1996). Black Texans: A History of African Americans in Texas,
1528-1995. University of Oklahoma Press.
Rael, P. (2002). Black identity and
Black protest in the Antebellum North. Univ of North Carolina Press.
