Extemporaneous musings, occasionally poetic, about life in its richly varied dimensions, especially as relates to history, theology, law, literature, science, by one who is an attorney, ordained minister, historian, writer, and African American.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
HAPPY 150TH BIRTHDAY AFRICAN AMERICANS!
HAPPY 150TH YEAR AMERICAN BIRTHDAY TO WE WHO BECAME AFRICAN AMERICAN CITIZENS BY PHILIPPIC MEANS--CONSTITUTIONAL IMPRESSMENT
We Africans in America became African Americans in July 1868 by Constitutional Impressment upon the 14th Amendment's ratification, an act of practical political expediency to all!
We are 150 years old this month.
Instead of that former "peek-a-boo" citizenship in which certain rights and privileges that were common to some, were "iffy" to us, we were vested with a panoply of complete citizenship with all rights privileges and immunities that were enjoyed by other, full-fledged Americans in the 14th Amendment.
Thus, unlike others who were born here "white" and who became citizens as a matter of fright, or who attained citizenship upon naturalization also being "white," we Africans, and, the American Indians to some unique extent, but especially we newly African Americans, were "impressed" into becoming citizens, before we even had the 15th Amendment right to vote on the constitutional fait accompli option!
Happy birthday African Americans!