
By Jacqui McLean
Two of the most precious qualities of the United States are freedom and equality. After all, the United States was created to be free from Britain. However, not everyone was free in America. Millions of African slaves were sent to the United States during its early stages of development, leading to the start of a racial divide that would last for centuries. Nonetheless, many people, including Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Frederick Douglass, and Ruby Bridges, made significant steps in addressing racism in the U.S. Like anything worth doing, freedom for all was a long fought battle, with many lives lost along the way. But as the United States progressed, the very words of our Constitution, “that all men are created equal,” became more accurately represented. Although America certainly isn’t perfect, the following timeline details a few of the steps we’ve taken to be a more inclusive nation.