by Nedric Miller, LSPC Ronald “Elder” Freeman Policy Fellow
The march continues: As long as slavery remains in the U.S. Constitution, so does our will and dedication to fight against systems and ideologies that see humans as material for gain. Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 6 is a reinforced tool crafted by LSPC and All of Us or None to battle against America’s tarnished legacy of slavery that remains encoded within its constitution, enslaving a people for profit. History shows that capitalism has never swung in the favor of those who have never colonized; its mere presence has always been weaponized to eradicate the truth and strength of those who fought for survival by any means despite the little that was given. Involuntary servitude has never been about justice, only greed and manipulation. It’s coming from frail hearts who recognize the threat of true collective power in their presence.
The removal of involuntary servitude from the state constitution is the beginning of a new era. It’s an end to the historical stigmas and the system that has not taken accountability for the wrongs it created. Although the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, many Californians are unaware that the language allowing involuntary servitude “as punishment for crime” is a revised, yet salvaged, play on words to ease society’s conscience about “slavery” still existing. It has kept its grip on the incarcerated and marginalized since America’s colonization.
Today within California’s prison walls, forced labor remains legal, not by moral consensus, but by constitutional technicality. Incarcerated people (disproportionately people of color) are forced to work under threat of punishment with no stake of sanity or atonement. California’s prison system echoes the very machinery of slavery, rebranded and refined through legal loopholes and policy indifference. The carceral state thrives on this silent servitude, shielding exploitation behind the veil of justice while profiting off bodies whose freedom was never truly restored. Capitalism has undeniably driven innovation and economic growth, but at a high cost: it’s deeply intertwined with systemic injustices that persist across societies and communities. Many treading this nation refuse to see its horrors. Help us restore justice to its exact meaning and restore our humanity.
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