Understanding Systemic Racism and Oppression

The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States after the Civil War. However, thousands of former slaveholders who had relied on enslaved labor for their economic prosperity faced a loss of income and power. So, they sought alternative ways to exploit black people to gain or retain income and power. The federal and state governments would play a significant role in black people's economic oppression.<br/><br/>A business owner knows labor is the most significant and indispensable business cost. It always has, and it always will be. But with new technology, replacing some of the labor costs with machines is becoming easier. But after the end of enslavement, there weren't many machines that could replace the work of the free labor enslavers had.<br/><br/>Some might argue that exploitation is a personal responsibility and not a systemic issue. However, this ignores the historical and legal context that has enabled white people to exploit black people in the United States. The withdrawal of federal troops from the South after the Civil War was followed by the enactment of Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation and discrimination.Support the show