In 1865, the 13th Amendment changed the U.S. forever with the abolition of slavery – sort of. The state of Kentucky voted against it, and didn’t officially adopt it until 1976!
Why? It all goes back to a promise President Abraham Lincoln made. He wasn’t as interested in Black freedom as we’ve all been taught.
In 1861, as Kentuckians panicked about slavery’s potential end, Lincoln soothed their concerns. States would still have the right to “control their own domestic institutions,” he assured them. Meaning they could keep enslaving Black people.
Slavery eventually ended, but Lincoln made sure it went as smoothly as possible for former enslavers.
Lincoln proposed an insulting process called “gradual emancipation,” and also designed “compensated emancipation,” meaning PAYING enslavers to end slavery. As much as $550,000 in today’s money!
Of course, abolitionists disagreed – why pay enslavers when it’s the formerly ENSLAVED who deserve reparations?
History books can try to convince us that Lincoln cared about Black people, and just had to make some tough political decisions.
But his position was clear: “I am not … in favor of … the social and political equality of the white and [B]lack races,” he said.
Politicians like Lincoln get lauded in history as heroes, but they don't deserve acclaim for being complicit in our dehumanization. They continue to design and uphold the systems that still dehumanize us today.