blog writing #mla format paper

African Americans have suffered from injustice, racism, and discrimination throughout American history. During the 1600s, Portuguese and Spanish settlers brought the first slaves to the newly formed American Colonies. Initially, Africans were bought and sold to work as servants and laborers. However, just after the invention of the cotton grid, states passed laws that sanctioned the enslavement of blacks. Consequently, life under slavery was appalling and arduous as black culture was suppressed during slavery and the country was torn apart by the Civil war. The North's victory helped free four million slaves while the Civil Rights Movement helped bring social change. Through the government’s support for desegregation, racial discrimination came to an end. However, despite the social changes discrimination and repression is still apart of African American life. Also, the African American language, customs, values, artistic forms, and religious beliefs have been reshaped. Thus, African Americans have played a significant role in the founding of American democracy.