On Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, we should take our cue from the Tulsa Star, a now-defunct black newspaper. Its masthead from 1920 included statements of religious and political faith, including a paraphrase from the Declaration of Independence: “‘All men are born equal and endowed with certain inalienable rights which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’” It went on to state: “We believe in the principles of true Democracy as promulgated by the patriot, Thomas Jefferson, and without fear or favor we will be found at all times fighting for an honest, impartial application of these principles to all men regardless of race or color.”
It's notable that such a statement of allegiance to Jeffersonian principles appeared at a point in our nation’s history when segregation and discrimination remained entrenched – and enforced, in some places, by roving gangs wearing white sheets. But it was also the time of the “New Negro,” a time of assertiveness after black men had proven (once again) their fighting abilities on the field of battle, this time in World War I. A new class of businessmen and writers was making its mark on Harlem. And the NAACP was working with the nation’s best legal minds in an attempt to put the words of Jefferson’s Declaration into action and move the country toward observing the post-Civil War amendments to the Constitution.
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