The Systematic Destruction of the Black Man in America: A Historical and Contemporary Analysis

By Xavier Figeroux, Brian Figeroux, Jr. and Michael Figeroux

The history of the United States is deeply intertwined with the oppression and destruction of Black men, a process that has been deliberately and systematically implemented by the white ruling class. From slavery to Jim Crow, from the war on drugs to mass incarceration, the targeted oppression of Black men has remained a key component of America’s racial hierarchy. This article will explore this history chronologically, demonstrating how the destruction of the Black man has been an ongoing goal in the U.S.

1. The Enslavement of the Black Man (1619–1865)

The foundation of Black oppression in America began with the transatlantic slave trade, which brought the first African captives to Virginia in 1619. Enslaved Black men were stripped of their humanity, treated as property, and subjected to inhumane labor conditions that enriched white plantation owners.

Key Elements of Oppression:

• Dehumanization: Black men were legally classified as chattel, meaning they had no rights or personhood under the law.
• Brutal Punishments: Any resistance, whether physical or intellectual, was met with extreme violence, including lynching, whipping, and amputations.
• Family Destruction: Slaveholders frequently separated Black men from their families to prevent unity and resistance.

The destruction of the Black man during slavery was not only physical but also psychological. By treating Black men as subhuman, white society sought to break their spirit and prevent any challenge to the racial hierarchy.

2. Post-Slavery and the Black Codes (1865–1877)

Following the abolition of slavery with the passage of the 13th Amendment in 1865, white America quickly implemented new systems to continue the subjugation of Black men. The Reconstruction era was marked by brief progress for Black people, but it was swiftly reversed by white supremacist policies and violence.

Black Codes & Vagrancy Laws:

• Southern states passed laws designed to criminalize Black men for minor or fabricated offenses, forcing them into convict leasing, which was effectively a new form of slavery.
• Black men were arrested en masse and leased out to corporations and plantation owners to perform forced labor under brutal conditions.

The Rise of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK):

• White vigilante groups like the KKK terrorized Black men through lynchings, beatings, and destruction of Black-owned property.
• The goal was to maintain white dominance and suppress any efforts by Black men to gain political or economic independence.

3. Jim Crow and the Great Migration (1877–1950s)

The post-Reconstruction period saw the formal establishment of Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation and stripped Black men of their civil rights.

Economic and Social Oppression:

• Black men were denied access to high-paying jobs and forced into sharecropping or menial labor, ensuring perpetual poverty.
• Systematic disenfranchisement (poll taxes, literacy tests, and voter intimidation) prevented Black men from influencing political change.

Lynching Epidemic:

• From the late 19th to mid-20th century, thousands of Black men were lynched in public spectacles meant to reinforce white dominance.
• These lynchings were often justified by false accusations of crimes, particularly against white women, reinforcing the myth of the “Black brute.”

As a result of this systemic oppression, millions of Black men fled the South during the Great Migration (1910–1970) to escape racial violence and seek better opportunities in the North. However, racism and economic discrimination followed them.

4. Civil Rights Movement and Government Suppression (1950s–1970s)

The Civil Rights Movement, led in large part by Black men such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers, sought to dismantle Jim Crow and achieve true racial equality. However, white resistance was fierce.

Police Brutality & COINTELPRO:

• The FBI’s COINTELPRO program targeted Black leaders and organizations, infiltrating and dismantling groups like the Black Panther Party.
• Key Black leaders were assassinated, imprisoned, or discredited in an effort to destroy Black male leadership.

Mass Incarceration Begins:

• The Nixon administration laid the groundwork for the criminalization of Black men through the “law and order” rhetoric that disproportionately targeted Black communities.

Despite the progress of the Civil Rights Movement, the systematic destruction of the Black man continued through more covert means.

5. The War on Drugs and Mass Incarceration (1980s–2000s)

One of the most devastating policies targeting Black men came in the form of the so-called “War on Drugs.”

Criminalization of Black Men:

• Under Ronald Reagan’s administration, drug laws disproportionately punished Black men. Crack cocaine (more common in Black communities) carried much harsher sentences than powdered cocaine (used more frequently by whites).
• The 1994 Crime Bill, signed by Bill Clinton, led to mass incarceration of Black men through mandatory minimums and three-strike laws.

Impact on the Black Family:

• Millions of Black men were taken from their families, creating a cycle of fatherless households.
• Private prisons profited from the mass incarceration of Black men, essentially reviving the convict leasing system of the post-slavery era.

This period saw the largest imprisonment of Black men in American history, ensuring their removal from society and further economic and political disempowerment.

6. The Present-Day War on Black Men (2010s–Present)

Despite decades of so-called progress, the destruction of Black men remains a key element of American society.

Police Violence:

• The deaths of George Floyd, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, and countless others highlight the ongoing state-sanctioned murder of Black men.
• The Black Lives Matter movement arose in response, but white resistance has sought to delegitimize the movement.

Economic Marginalization:

• Black men continue to face employment discrimination and wage disparities.
• Gentrification and housing discrimination push Black men into poor neighborhoods with limited resources.

Modern-Day Lynchings Through the Criminal Justice System:

• Black men are more likely to receive harsher sentences than white men for the same crimes.
• Voter suppression tactics continue to strip Black men of their political power.

A Deliberate and Ongoing System of Oppression

From slavery to mass incarceration, the destruction of the Black man has been an intentional and continuous project of white America. Each era has introduced new methods of oppression, evolving to maintain white supremacy while adapting to changing social norms. Whether through legal means, economic disenfranchisement, or outright murder, the goal remains the same: the suppression and destruction of Black male identity, power, and agency.

While resistance movements have continuously fought against these injustices, the fight is far from over. Until the systemic structures that oppress Black men are dismantled, the struggle for true racial equality will continue.