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There were several things that stood out to me while reading chapter 7. The first were the Slave Codes, and how they oppressed African Americans as well as kept them oppressed for generations. There were five foundational laws or conditions regarding slaves. Slavery was for life, status was inherited, slaves were property, slaves did not have rights, and there was strong use of coercion to keep the system running. The slave codes were a set of legal laws regarding slaves and their "rights". Some of these codes include the prohibition of slaves marrying with a free black person. Marriages were not legally recognized which discriminated from the legal benefits of marriage. Slaves could not buy or sell items nor possess weapons or liquor. Possession of property was prohibited. They had no authority to testify in court except against another slave. This allowed for slave owners to continue to neglect and abuse millions of slaves as the law turned a blind eye. Even after the abolition of slavery and the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment, it is sad to see the extent to which whites would go to maintain power and keep the African Americans oppressed. If half of the energy went to facilitating a peaceful life together, I feel that the different groups could have a way more progressive and positive relationship.

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While reading chapter 7 on African Americans, only one thing stood out to me. Although there is a lot of interesting information in this chapter, I was already familiar with most of it. The only part I was unfamiliar with was the section on Black Power and Black Lives Matter in this chapter. Within this part of the chapter, I had no idea about the meaning behind "Black Power" as it was "not born of Black Violence but out of White Violence," according to the chapter. Another interesting fact is that the Black Lives Matter movement started in 2013. This is interesting, as I didn't become aware of this movement until 2020. The reason I was made aware of it at that time was due to the media coverage of George Floyd. However, even after 150 years of trying to change the political system to achieve equal rights, the system is still a problem when it comes to people of color and ethnicity receiving equal treatment.

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What stood out to me was The slave codes were a set of laws established in the American colonies and later in the United States to control enslaved African Americans and maintain the system of slavery. These laws severely limited the rights and freedoms of enslaved people. They were not allowed to learn to read or write, gather in groups, own property, or move freely without written permission. The slave codes also gave enslavers the legal right to punish enslaved people harshly without consequences. These laws were designed to prevent rebellion and ensure that white slaveholders maintained total control. Over time, the codes became stricter as fear of resistance grew. The slave codes reflect how laws were used to enforce racism and dehumanize an entire group of people. Learning about them is essential to understanding the brutality of slavery and how systemic oppression was built into the legal and social structures of early American society.

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After reading Chapter 7 on African Americans, the one thing that stood out the most to me was slavery in the United States of America. They had five central conditions known as the "Slavery Codes". These five central conditions included: Slavery was for life, the status was inherited, slaves were considered mere property, slaves were denied rights, and coercion was used to maintain the system. The slave codes, which began in the 1600s as slavery increased in size and generations in the American colonies, were designed to explain and decode the status of enslaved individuals while giving access and the most power over them to slave owners. As these laws took away African Americans' basic rights and freedom, this setback prevented slaves from protecting themselves under the law. Slavery was abolished in the United States of America in 1865 under the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. One of the slavery codes was that: "1. A slave could not marry or even meet with a free Black." Another slavery code I found really interesting to myself was, "6. A slave could not possess property (including money) except as allowed by his or her owner." (Schaefer p.162) Another important and valuable lesson I learned from this chapter was on "Reemergence of Black Protests" on Black Power and #BlackLivesMatter. I strongly believe that these both connect because even though the United States abolished slavery after 1865, there were still major concerns about police brutality and racial injustice, as it challenged the legacy of the slavery codes and conditions towards African Americans.

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African-Americans have a long and brutal history this country.  They were forced here as slaves and many died on the transatlantic ships.  They were ripped from their families and children, given new names and were property of their owners.  White society did everything they possibly could to dehumanize Blacks because they viewed them as lesser beings and they wanted to continue to use them as free labor on plantations and farms.  Even after slavery was abolished, Jim Crow laws were enacted to keep Black people in their place and to ensure that they were not allowed upward mobility.  “Between 1877 and 1950, Whites lynched more than 4,000 Black people whom they suspected of wrongdoing” (p. 164, Racial and Ethnic Groups).  White society wanted to instill fear in Blacks so that they wouldn’t rise up and demand equal rights.  Despite all of the fear, brutality and laws enacted to oppress African-Americans, they still stood up and demanded their rights, through Supreme Court victories, such as Brown v. Board of Education, protests and the enactment of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.  Even despite all of these victories, it did not remove all the barriers in society for Black mobility.  African-Americans should be proud of their ancestors who fought for an equal place in society even if it cost them their very lives.  It is a testament to their resilience and spirit that could not be stamped out.

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Chapter 7 discusses slavery, and its history. As i was familiar with most of the reading from high school classes, there wasn't much that stuck out to me directly. However the section of Slavery's Aftermath caught my attention. This section of the reading goes on to discuss the Emancipation Proclamation, the Thirteenth Amendment, as well as the period referred to as Reconstruction. From 1867-1877, Black-White relations in the south were said to be unlike anything before. The Reconstruction Act of 1867 allowed for the creation of new state constitutions, with Blacks participating fully in the process. However the reading goes on to state that "reconstruction failed to truly change the racist social order. Southern states enacted laws meant to keep former slaves and their descendants in a subordinate status." These laws were ultimately known as Jim Crow laws. These laws unfortunately gave White people their ultimate authority leading to more than 4,000 black people being lynched between 1877-1950. Although Jim Crow laws were eventually overturned, new laws may have similar impact within the twenty-first century.

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The comprehensive overview of the African American experience in Chapter 7, particularly when viewed as a whole, underscores a persistent pattern in American history: the adaptation of systems of control in response to Black progress. While many of my classmates focused on the brutality of the Slave Codes and their undeniable legal power to dehumanise, what particularly caught my attention was the immediate and resourceful effort to replace one system of oppression with another during Slavery's Aftermath.

The period of Reconstruction (1867–1877) is often presented as a brief moment of hope, where African Americans participated fully in creating new state constitutions. However, this progress was quickly suffocated. As the chapter notes, "reconstruction failed to truly change the racist social order". The withdrawal of federal troops allowed Southern states to enact Jim Crow laws and resort to outright violence, such as the lynching of "more than 4,000 Black people" between 1877 and 1950. This sequence illustrates a chilling connection: the legal codes of slavery were simply substituted with the social and political codes of segregation, supported by terror.

This historical pattern connects the early 20th-century debate between Booker T. Washington's call for accommodation, or gradual economic progress, and W.E.B. Du Bois's demand for immediate political and civil rights, as expressed through the Niagara Movement. The fact that this debate was necessary, decades after emancipation, proves the enduring nature of institutional racism. It shows that African Americans were continually forced to choose a strategy for survival and advancement against a white society constantly seeking to maintain a subordinate status, a dynamic that tragically continues to be challenged by modern movements like #BlackLivesMatter.

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After reading Chapter 7 about slavery, the part that stood out to me the most was learning about slavery and how it still affects people today. The chapter talked about the “Slavery Codes,” which were rules that took away freedom and rights from enslaved people. These laws made slavery a system of control that lasted for hundreds of years until it ended in 1865 with the 13th Amendment. Another part that caught my attention was learning about the Black Power movement and the Black Lives Matter movement. I didn’t know that Black Power started as a reaction to the violence and unfair treatment toward Black people, not from violence itself. I also learned that Black Lives Matter began in 2013, but I only heard about it in 2020 after George Floyd’s death. Even though times have changed, African Americans still fight for justice and equal rights in today’s society.

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What really stood out to me in Chapter 7 was the discussion about the slave codes and how they reveal the extreme level of control and dehumanization that enslaved Africans faced in the United States. They were designed to completely control every aspect of slaves lives. Chapter 7 explains that slavery rested on “five central conditions: slavery was for life, the status was inherited, slaves were considered mere property, slaves were denied rights, and coercion was used to maintain the system.” These laws stripped Black people of any sense of personhood by forbidding them from learning to read or write, marrying freely, owning property, or testifying against White people in court. This made it clear that slavery was not just about forced labor but about maintaining a racial hierarchy through every part of life. Chapter 7 also connects this to the idea of “racial formation,” explaining that slavery shaped how race itself was socially constructed and used to justify inequality. What I found most powerful is how the chapter shows that the legacy of these systems didn’t end with emancipation. Even after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, new systems like Jim Crow laws kept African Americans in an inferior social position. This made me realize how the roots of today’s racial inequalities can be traced back to these early laws that legally defined Black people as less than human.

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One of the topics that interested me in Chapter 7 was how slave codes were treated and enforced to control all aspects of enslaved individuals' lives. These codes of law went far beyond restricting movement; they even controlled whether a person could marry, inherit property, or have access to reading instructions. What was most astonishing to me was the way that slavery was not only a physical system of labor but that it was also a legal and social system of oppression, meant to deprive people of humanity and to establish racial hierarchy (Schaefer, 2017). That the courts upheld it is evidence of just how deeply racism was ingrained in American institutions.

It made me reflect on my own work in shelters today. The majority of the families I work with still face systemic obstacles grounded in that history—housing discrimination, educational disparities, and racial profiling. Slavery ended more than 150 years ago, but its contemporary effects are experienced in the ways laws, policies, and even community spaces operate. Chapter 7 reminded me that in order to assist families, we also have to deal with the legacies of oppression that continue to shape daily life.

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Dennis Bonilla

Reading chapter seven I learned of how the systems of slavery influence society still. The thing that stuck out the most to me was how contradictory one of their policies was. As discussed on page 162, as slavery developed, slave codes were implemented to state the status and limitations of slaves. The interesting, yet contradictory law was that slaves could not inherit anything due to the fact that they could not own a will. On the same page it says that slavery was inheritable. This to me shows how powerful and unchallenged slavery was. Even while being challenged as discussed later on page 163, abolitionists and their outspokenness negatively impacted the treatment of slaves. The brighter the light shined on slavery, the harsher the conditions were for the people in bondage. These systems influenced the oppression of non-whites even in politics. When the supreme court declared literacy tests and poll taxes constitutional, this was another move made to keep black people from equality. This agenda only possible because of the attitudes brought forth through the power obtained and maintained by slavery.

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Keaonna Williams

Two Visions for Black Progress

Chapter 7 explores the contrasting philosophies of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, two influential Black leaders. Washington, born enslaved, promoted vocational training and gradual progress through White acceptance—a strategy known as the politics of accommodation. He believed Black Americans could earn equality by proving their economic value and loyalty.

DuBois, born free and the first Black Ph.D. from Harvard, rejected Washington’s emphasis on compromise. He argued for academic excellence, protest, and leadership through the “Talented Tenth”—a call for educated Black leaders to uplift the broader community. DuBois believed Washington’s approach stifled activism and diverted resources from intellectual development.

Their clash shaped early civil rights movements. DuBois’s Niagara Movement, though underfunded, laid the foundation for the NAACP, blending Black militancy with White liberal support. Their debate still resonates today: Should change come through patience and cooperation, or through direct challenge and protest?

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“Nigger, Don’t Let the Sun Set on YOU,” (Schaefer, p169). This statement right here is enough to make anybody irate. The fact that in 2016 the town of Lacrosse, Wisconsin is just apologizing for being a sundown town truly baffles me and puts me under the suspicion that there are more places in the United States where this statue still exists even if the intimidation is subliminally subtle. The slave codes and the Jim Crow era, and currently the fight for reparation being fought right now across the United States of America are all reasons I stay alert as far as my skin goes for the next racist agenda. There is nothing in this chapter that I am not aware of, through lessons and self-education. In my opinion racism is not only a mindset it is a lifestyle that exist and plays out in the backwater towns and counties all over America, not to mention the luxurious homes of the super elite; And that is why I am not surprised when I see it repeat itself like the comparison made with Colin Kaepernick and the runners in the 1968 Olympics with the reactions being exactly the same. Someone once told Lebron James to shut up and play basketball when he voiced an opinion, and while I was reading I thought about this and I couldn't help comparing it with the town in Iowa that suspended their sundown town ordinance for one night so that an interracial band could play at their festival; This to baffles me. I acknowledge that progress has been made. But I can't deny that racism has evolved.

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After reading Chapter 7, one of the many things that stood out to me was how the legacy of slavery and the slave codes continues to affect African Americans today. The slave codes were laws designed to control enslaved people by limiting their movement, education and even family life. While the codes themselves no longer exist, they created long lasting systems of inequality. For example, enslaved people were denied property, education and legal rights which over generations has contributed to economic disparities, underfunded schools in Black neighborhoods and biased treatment in the criminal justice system. These effects show how historical oppression still shapes opportunities and social outcomes today. The chapter also discussed the urban stage in the 1960s and 1970s. Many African Americans moved to cities seeking better jobs, housing and education. Rising expectations met with relative deprivation, as communities often faced overcrowding, urban violence and systemic oppression. These challenges sparked frustration but also fueled organized protests and community activism with Black churches and leaders playing a key role in support and mobilization. Reading this chapter helped me see how history, from slave codes to urban struggles, continues to shape the resilience and experiences of African Americans today.

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According to our reading “The legacy of slavery continues more than 150 years after its end in the United States”. (Schaefer pg. 166) What I find interesting is the sentiment in today’s climate seems to disagree.  With all of the evidence alluding to this truth, people are so quick to dismiss the aftermath of this atrocity. Although the enslaved Africans contributed to creating the vast majority of the wealth in the United States, their descendants have a higher poverty rate than any other groups in the US.  This steams from a number of factors. Systemic racism and discrimination being one of these factors. There are systems in place that prohibit the advancement of this group of Americans. These systems in place are in my opinion the modern day “Slave Codes.”  Although not vocalized in public forums, they are still used today.  Recognizing and understanding the ongoing impact slavery had on this group of people will help to one day eliminate racial inequities and work toward social justice equity.

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When reading chapter 7 it allows the present-day and historical experiences of African Americans in the United States. Schafer tends to trace how centuries of slavery, institutional discrimination formed the economic and social inequalities that still continue today as well as segregation. Within this chapter it continues to highlight the major successful outcome of the Civil Rights Movements, such as the Civil Rights acts along with the Brown v. Board of Education, but also brings understanding to readers that true fairness remains as an ongoing struggle. Chapter 7 presents many different explanations for for racial fairness, cultural, biological, and structural. It emphasizes that institutional and structural racism still continues to limit the opportunities for several African Americans. Schafer also discusses contemporary issues such as racial attitudes, the impact of residential segregation and affirmative actions. What stood out to me the most was Schafers directness on on flexibility and opposition within the African American community through education, activism, and cultural pride. Overall the chapter gives the aspect that while progress has been made, get rid of systemic fencing while still being essential to reaching racial justice.

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What stood out to me after reading Chapter 7 is how much the past continues to impact the present, similar to Gee's Bend. For example, Chapter 7 exposed how systemic racism is not something that changed when slavery ended, but instead transformed. The citizens of Gee's Bend went from enslaved laborers to sharecroppers, caught in yet another realm of social dependence and poverty. When the white leaders of Camden closed the ferry, I immediately felt a connection to segregation efforts by the abolition of slavery in the North. It was not a matter of distance and separation, but an active, intentional mechanism to disrupt a Black community's access to vital resources (the ferry) as well as their autonomy.

Therefore, it reminds me of the chapter when institutional racism and the dynamics of power were outlined with focus on how, since slavery began, systems had been put into place with subsequent generations to reduce Black Americans. Furthermore, it's clear that this systemic racism continues as many Black communities boast minimal options for caregivers, housing, schools and more. This reaffirms how racism adapts and transforms like time but despite generations looking for equity and justice it still has not come for all.

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After reading chapter 7, one thing that stood out to me is after learning the strong roles religion played in slavery, it's disgusting that Whites made the slaves attend their church.  Imagine each and every day you are tortured and treated incredibly inhumane way and are told it's because God says that you are inferior, but now you are also forced to attend that church and follow the ideas and rules enforced by the church.  I feel this shows us how truly inhumane Whites treated their slaves.  The treatment was so terrible, they had to use God and religion to justify the actions they were taking and to try and show the African Americans how truly inferior and unacceptable they were.  This is, unfortunately, something that is still seen in some churches today.  Some priests will not marry interracial couples due to the way people say the bible should be interpreted, because they still feel African Americans are inferior to them.

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While reading and learning many new things within Chapter 7, there were a couple key points that stood out to me the most. The first item that really caught my attention was the Slave Codes. Slave codes were laws that defined the low position of slaves within the United States. These rules often would vary from state to state, but generally all followed the same guidelines, and that was to take total control of the slaves. From the twelve examples provided in Chapter seven, you can see just how few slaves were allowed within the United States. This makes me wonder just how sick people were to do this to another human being. Another piece that stood out to me in Chapter seven was the New Immigration. I did not know that most migrants coming into the United States were individuals from Africa and the Caribbean. I found it fascinating to discover that approximately 800,000 African Americans hailed from foreign countries. It amazes me that the United States was able to regain some trust from the African American community, which has come here to provide for their families.