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The Ultimate Criminal

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About This Book

An annual address rejects sweeping racial indictments, acknowledging that individuals commit crimes but arguing that the roots lie in slavery and its aftermath: legal chattel status, dispossession, enforced ignorance, and moral degradation produced by long bondage, followed by postwar economic dependence, punitive labor laws, organized racial violence, and social exclusion; together these conditions transformed peaceful freed people into a population vulnerable to criminalization. The speaker urges an impartial, sympathetic inquiry into the social and institutional causes behind apparent increases in criminality rather than blaming an entire race for the actions of individuals.

About the Author

Grimké, Archibald Henry portrait

Archibald Henry Grimké

Archibald Henry Grimké was an influential African American writer, lawyer, and civil rights activist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for his works that address the social and political issues faced by African Americans, particularly during the Reconstruction era. Grimké's writings, such as "Charles Sumner Centenary: Historical Address," reflect his commitment to civil rights and his advocacy for the African American community. He was a prominent member of the American Negro Academy, where he contributed to discussions on race, politics, and culture. His legacy includes a dedication to the fight for equality and justice, making significant contributions to African American literature and history.

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