Amendment XIII

Amendment XIII
“Slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

The first section abolishes slavery….

….The second section makes Congress responsible for making necessary laws in order to make sure that all forms of ‘Involuntary servitude’ remain abolished.

This is if not, one of THEE most important amendments to the Constitution—period. This amendment ended what was the longest, generationally damaging, and despicable act in US history. For nearly 400 years Black, African Americans, Africans, Black Americans—whatever you want to call them—were enslaved and made to be subhuman animals. This is the amendment I care the most about because I know my ancestors are Black and Native American—two groups enslaved, sold, and slaughtered for economic gain and degradation of an entire people. Perhaps, the saddest part of this amendment is the reality, that segregation, murder, torture, and other forms of power and control were exerted over Blacks and Native Americans long after this amendment was ratified. Another sad reality of this amendment is that even today, a form of slavery still exists called human trafficking, which is when humans are sold in the black market for cheap labor, sex, and any other purpose that is involuntary for any reason on behalf the person being sold.

What’s great about the 2nd section is that it provides that congress make laws to enforce the first section which is where were we see the framework for the Civil Rights Act, because it gave validity to the necessity of having legislation that prevents discrimination.



I chose this video because I thought it was a well-put together display of slavery. The music definitely sets the tone, and the pictures speak 1,000 words. I think it is important to never forget where we came from and never forget the struggle our ancestors had to face.


This video talks about Jim Crow Laws and how they supposed to create a separate, but equal atmosphere in the South after the Reconstruction, but in actuality, they separate facilities always were of poor quality. I included this video to display how blacks were treated after the abolishment of slavery due to the passing of Jim Crow Laws. I wanted to display how former slaves remained oppressed even in the light of their new found freedom.