More than 150 years after slavery was outlawed in the US, the practice persists in the form of forced, unpaid prison labor. Five states had the opportunity to end this.
by Natalia Marques, Peoples Dispatch
As children in the US learn in schools, slavery was abolished over 150 years ago during the nation’s Civil War in 1863. And yet, on the November 8 2022 midterm elections, five states, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Louisiana, and Alabama, voted on ballot measures that would end slavery in those states.
How is the US still be contending with slavery in 2022? The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery. However, it contained a powerful exception—slavery would be legal as punishment for a crime.
As a result, hundreds of thousands of prison workers are held in involuntary servitude, often unpaid and always below minimum wage. Tennessee, Vermont, and Alabama voted yes on ballot measures that would end all exceptions to involuntary, forced, and unpaid labor within prisons within their respective state constitutions. Oregon’s vote is too close to call with only 66% of results in, but also seems to lean towards ending all forms of slavery. Louisiana rejected a ballot measure known as Amendment 7, which would have changed the current constitutional language that permits prison slavery.
Recent Posts
Talk World Radio: Sam Rosenthal On The Occupation Of DC And What’s The Matter With Democrats
Take Action Now War, peace, and politics with RootsAction’s Political Director Sam RosenthalBy David Swanson and Sam Rosenthal, Talk World Radio…
Jews And Israel Are Not The Same. Equating Them Is A Propaganda Technique
Take Action Now The claim is central to rationales for arming Israel even as leading human rights groups decry genocide in GazaBy Norman Solomon,…
House Bill Would Let Marco Rubio Strip Passports Over Political Speech
Take Action Now Provision would let the Secretary of State deny or revoke passports over alleged “material support” as critics warn of thought…
Targeting Venezuela, Trump Escalates U.S. Campaign Of Aggression In Latin America
Take Action Now The US and Latin American right have long mobilized to remove challenges to their traditional privileges and control.By Jonathan…