Hawkins on the History of Insurrections for Enslaved Americans: The Conversation
Communications Studies assistant professor Deion Hawkins writes a piece for the academic news site The Conversation, describing insurrections in the United States, which need to be examined in the context of rebellions by enslaved Black Americans.
For centuries, insurrections were among the only tools enslaved people had for social change and, ultimately, freedom.
From Nat Turner’s insurrection in 1831, the story of which was developed into a movie, to the squelched insurrection in 1687 of a Black man named Sam who was owned by Richard Metcalfe, insurrections and rebellions have always been used by Black people who were enslaved in the U.S.
In my view, what happened on Jan. 6, 2021, was a co-option of a Black liberation tactic that was used to remedy an injustice enshrined in the law.
But unlike Trump’s false claims of voter fraud, which were legally challenged and proved untrue, insurrections by enslaved people were based on a legitimate flaw in the U.S. Constitution – the denial of full citizenship based on skin color and race.
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