The Black Bill of Rights is a resource hub that provides education, templates, and data for communities to take action and develop policies and practices that restore freedom and opportunity for Black people and people of the African Diaspora within the United States. Collectively, we can develop a Black Bill of Rights to address disparities in every aspect of Black life including healthcare, education, economic development and security, and more. As Black community leaders find success and overcome obstacles, the Black Bill of Rights is an ever-evolving online place for us to share, learn from one another, and grow together.
What Is The Black Bill of Rights?
The Black Bill of Rights is a template for community action and input to eradicate the discriminatory policies and practices that impede the freedom and opportunity of Black people and people of the African Diaspora within the United States. Currently, this set of documents focuses most on policing because of the urgent need to save lives by changing policing, but collectively we can build out the Black Bill of Rights for Black community leaders to address disparities in every aspect of Black life including healthcare, education, economic development and security, and more.
The Bill of Rights: A History
“[A] bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should refuse.” – Thomas Jefferson, December 20, 1787
The United States Constitution was built as a blueprint for self-government with the broad system of checks and balances. As a governing document, it stands as a brilliant effort to build a government that could evolve over time. However, it was also flawed.
The Bill of Rights was created in response to a call for greater protection of individual liberties and more restrictions on governmental power. Unfortunately, though the Bill of Rights is a fundamental building block of our republic, the rights listed are limited for Black Americans. The Constitution itself did not recognize Black people or women when initially written. Separate rules, laws, and doctrines have been passed over time in state legislatures or at the ballot box, in Congress, or through the Supreme Court, which both attempt to expand our rights to include all people, or attempt to further restrict who should enjoy the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness the Bill of Rights promises.
It is our duty as people of these United States to write and enact laws that make our freedom and opportunity a reality.
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