1996
(20) 1996
They say history repeats itself.
Innovation and progress, I applaud. But when it comes to events that make one doubt the true nature of humanity, I wish they would just vanish into thin air and never resurrect.
Such as in the case of the "one-drop rule".
Not so long ago, in America, some people were legally less equal than others.
Babies, since the moment they entered the world, were stitched into the fabric of society according to the color of their skin.
Born white -- the freedom and liberty promised in the Constitution were yours to claim.
Born black -- you'd lead a life of servitude until the day you die.
There was no gray area in between.
Because the "one-drop rule" made sure that anyone with known trace of black ancestry -- whether it was 1/8 or 1/32 -- would be classified as black and thus treated accordingly.
What troubles me now is that we don't seem to have learned from history's mistakes.
Such form of racial categorization was outlawed in the 1960s, but today it is still deeply ingrained in people's psyche -- on all sides of the color line.
What are the things that come to your mind when you think of the year 1996? Please share them below with us, or on Instagram comments or DM, or just jot them down in your private diary.
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Up next, 1997!
Eileen x