.

The 13th Amendment Today: How America Keeps Slavery Alive—and What the World Can Learn From #EndSARS

America loves to call itself the land of freedom, opportunity, and equality. It boasts democracy, liberty, and justice. It raises its flags, sings its anthems, and celebrates its so-called progress. But beneath that shiny veneer lies a centuries-long nightmare of oppression, cruelty, and systemic injustice. The 13th Amendment—hailed as the law that ended slavery—contains a loophole so vile it allows slavery to persist under the guise of imprisonment: “except as punishment for a crime.” For millions of Black and Indigenous Americans, this loophole is not a technicality—it is a living, breathing instrument of modern slavery.

A Century of Hurt and Pain

Racism in the United States is not subtle, not accidental, not a relic of the past. It is barbaric, structural, and deliberate. From the earliest slave patrols to today’s policing systems, America’s authorities have always used law enforcement as a tool to control, terrorize, and criminalize communities of color. The wounds inflicted over centuries are deep, persistent, and intergenerational.

Every wrongful arrest, every over-policed neighborhood, every unarmed Black man killed by police is a continuation of centuries of suffering. These are not isolated incidents—they are symptoms of a system designed to enforce inequality, protect privilege, and perpetuate fear. The quality of life in America declines decade after decade because policies rooted in hate, exclusion, and oppression backfire, harming not just the oppressed but the nation as a whole.

America is not a white man’s country. It is God’s country, promised to humanity in diversity. And yet, the nation has repeatedly failed to honor this divine promise, choosing instead to cling to fear, hatred, and systemic oppression.

Pull quote:
"America’s promise is not a white man’s promise—it is God’s promise for diversity and justice."

Modern Slavery: The Prison System Today

The prison system in the United States is the 13th Amendment realized in practice. By allowing involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime, America created a legal framework where millions can be imprisoned, exploited, and dehumanized—often for acts that are either petty or fabricated. Mass incarceration is not a bug—it is a feature of systemic oppression.

Statistics are staggering: Black Americans make up about 13% of the U.S. population but account for nearly 40% of the incarcerated population. Indigenous people are similarly overrepresented. This is no coincidence. Policies are crafted to target minority communities, criminalize poverty, and perpetuate cycles of disenfranchisement.

Every prison cell is a reminder that slavery has not ended—it has simply been repackaged and justified under the law. Even today, incarceration often prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation, profit over human dignity, and control over justice.

Suggested visual: Table showing incarceration rates by race, highlighting disproportionate impact on Black and Indigenous populations.

Lessons From #EndSARS

Across the world, Nigerian youth have shown Americans what moral courage and collective action look like. The #EndSARS movement demanded the dismantling of a brutal, unaccountable police unit. Young citizens risked their lives to expose injustice, amplify their voices, and demand systemic reform. Their courage reverberated globally and demonstrated that ordinary people can challenge extraordinary power.

The United States could learn from #EndSARS. While American citizens debate incremental policy changes, Nigerian youth fought openly, visibly, and decisively. The lesson is clear: oppressive authority must be challenged, not tolerated. Silence is compliance, and compliance sustains cruelty.

Pull quote:
"Authority is never inherently just; it must be challenged, exposed, and held accountable."

Technology and Transparency

Technology has provided a flicker of hope in the darkness of systemic oppression. Body cameras, AI monitoring, and prison surveillance tools have created a level of transparency previously unseen. Footage has captured misconduct, exonerated the innocent, and forced accountability.

Yet technology is only a tool—it cannot heal centuries of systemic injustice. Cameras illuminate wrongdoing, but they cannot reform the hearts and minds of those invested in oppression. AI and surveillance may hold people accountable, but without policy change, oversight, and moral leadership, they are merely witnesses to cruelty, not agents of justice.

Suggested visual: Image of a police body camera in action, or AI monitoring interface for correctional facilities.

The Human Toll

The statistics are horrifying, but numbers cannot convey the full horror. Behind every number is a human life disrupted: children growing up without parents, families torn apart, futures stolen, communities destabilized. Each wrongful conviction is a scar on the nation’s soul. Each over-policed neighborhood is a testament to systemic hatred.

The human cost extends beyond those directly affected. Racism, oppression, and brutality corrode society itself. They weaken democracy, destroy trust, and erode the moral foundation upon which a nation stands.

Pull quote:
"Every life lost or harmed by systemic oppression is a scar on the nation’s soul."

The Authority of God and Moral Imperative

Let us not be silent: God’s authority supersedes any human law. America may craft policies to oppress, imprison, and control—but divine justice cannot be subverted. The chains of oppression, centuries in the making, are affronts to God’s sacred order.

God promised humanity equality, dignity, and diversity. Every act of systemic cruelty, every policy designed to target the innocent, every life harmed by over-policing is a defiance of divine authority. History will demand justice, and God’s moral law will not be denied.

A Call to Action

Change will not come from complacency. It will not come from passive hope. It will come from courage, solidarity, and relentless action. Americans must demand justice for all: affordable education, housing for all, transparent policing, and equal rights for every citizen.

The lessons of #EndSARS show the power of collective courage. Americans must rise together, speak truth, and refuse to tolerate injustice. Every voice counts. Every action matters. History and God are watching, and they will not forgive passivity in the face of oppression.

Conclusion – History is Watching

America’s promise is not a white man’s promise—it is God’s promise for humanity, a sacred vision of justice, equality, and diversity. To honor that promise, citizens must refuse cruelty, demand accountability, and fight relentlessly for human rights.

The centuries of hurt, pain, and oppression weigh heavily on this nation. But history is not yet finished, and the power to change lies in our hands. Rise, speak, act—because the future of America, the dignity of its people, and the authority of God demand nothing less.

Pull quote for social sharing:
"The fight for human rights is not optional. It is holy work mandated by conscience and divine authority."