1. Home
  2. Discover
  3. News
  4. Below the Fold

Below the Fold - the longest constitution in the world

View this email in your browser
WELLNESS CHECK
This edition leans...
Hey Below the Fold fam,

We know we sent a long, negative story yesterday. So with our promise of keeping News Wellness always in mind, we’re sharing a short, positive story today! And it’s full of interesting facts about the length of U.S. state constitutions...
TODAY'S STORY
Alabama takes first step towards removing their constitution’s racist language
Sun Sep 19

Alabama has the longest state constitution in America — by 10x. It all started in 1901 when the entire constitution was rewritten with explicit goals to establish White supremacy in the state. In doing so, a rule was written requiring an amendment to the constitution every time a law in the state — even one specific to only one county — is changed. For example, a constitutional amendment would need to be written for something as simple as prohibiting the overgrowth of weeds in a county.

The resulting Alabama constitution is three times longer than the world's next longest (in India) at approximately 389,000 words. And now, a new policy effort hopes to not only make this document easier to navigate, but also remove explicitly racist language such as:
  • Section 256, which states that children are to be segregated in the school system, although already outlawed by the landmark Supreme Court ruling on Brown v. Board of Education.
  • Section 259, which includes requirements that disenfranchise Black voters, such as literacy tests and poll taxes.
  • Section 32, which essentially says slavery is permissible as punishment for a crime. This section has served as a loop-hole for free prison labor, mostly of Black and Brown individuals. Similar language exists in the 13th Amendment of the U.S. constitution, also with calls for removal.
While many say these changes will unlikely change how the state already operates, politicians hope the symbolic move encourages the establishment of more businesses in the state and economic growth. But getting to this point hasn’t been easy with two failed attempts already. Alabama voters will make a final decision on the revised draft next Fall.

If successful, Alabama would be on trend with other states removing racist symbols and language from founding documents, such as in Utah, Nebraska, and Rhode Island last year.

🎬 Take Action

 
Equal Justice Initiative has a petition moving to totally abolish slavery in the U.S. by amending the 13th Amendment.
Post Post
Tweet Tweet
Share Share

 

RESOURCE CENTER
New York Times:
(Where we found this story)
5 days old | 11 minutes long
The Life of Law:
1901 changes to constitution
7 years old | 18 minutes long
Alabama Daily News:
Committee discusses slavery language
3 weeks old | 6 minutes long
States removing racist language
1 year old | 11 minutes long
Ballotpedia:
State constitution lengths
3 minutes long
War on 13th Amendment
5 months old | 22 minutes long

 

ICYMI (AGAIN)
  • Yesterday: Environmental defenders are being killed at alarming rates
  • Wednesday: The good, bad, and ugly of tech monitoring drivers
  • Tuesday: TikTok’s new automated technology
ASCII-ING ABOUT THE NEWS
 
(\
\'\
 \'\     __________
 / '|   ()_________)
 \ '/    \ ~~~~~~~~ \
   \       \ ~~~~~~   \
   ==).     \__________\
  (__)      ()__________)
Preamble? More like Pre-ramble, am I right?!

Art Credit: Below the Fold
Copyright © 2021 Below the Fold, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.

Our mailing address is:
Below the Fold
2261 Market St # 4135
San Francisco, CA 94114-1612

Add us to your address book


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Older messages

climate change’s new records: murders

Thursday, September 23, 2021

The impact of dirty industry on humanitarian crises. View this email in your browser WELLNESS CHECK This edition leans... Hey Below the Fold fam, If you're choosing to read today's story, brace

the robots supervising our driving

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

And how drivers are being unjustly punished by them. View this email in your browser WELLNESS CHECK This edition leans... Hey Below the Fold fam, In our past startup lives, the founders of this

is there such a thing as good hacking?

Tuesday, September 21, 2021

TikTok's machines don't think so View this email in your browser WELLNESS CHECK This edition leans... Hey Below the Fold fam, In a poll last week, we asked you if social media companies should

schools’ early start — in identity theft

Monday, September 20, 2021

Ransomware threatens students' financial futures View this email in your browser WELLNESS CHECK This edition leans... Hey Below the Fold fam, As if parenting wasn't hard enough, another concern

German cattle got a bathroom upgrade.

Friday, September 17, 2021

And we're over the moo-n for how it can help. View this email in your browser WELLNESS CHECK This edition leans... Hey Below the Fold fam, While we've talked about climate change a fair amount

You Might Also Like

Homelessness Rises, Severe Weather Hits, and New Jersey Sinks

Saturday, December 28, 2024

Federal officials reported an 18% increase in homelessness on Friday, citing affordable housing shortages, inflation, stagnant wages, and natural disasters as contributing factors. ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌

☕ We’ve got good news

Saturday, December 28, 2024

All the fun stories you may have missed this year... December 28, 2024 View Online | Sign Up | Shop Morning Brew Presented By Virgin Voyages Good morning. If you've followed along with us this year

Orthopedic Portuguese flats and Irish self-tanner

Friday, December 27, 2024

Our most popular odes of the year. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. December 27,

Orthopedic Portuguese flats and Irish self-tanner

Friday, December 27, 2024

Our most popular odes of the year. The Strategist Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. December 27,

Vancouver B.C. fintech company Bench Accounting announces sudden shutdown

Friday, December 27, 2024

Breaking News from GeekWire GeekWire.com | View in browser BREAKING NEWS Bench Accounting, a Vancouver BC-based company that provides online bookkeeping services for thousands of small businesses,

Important update on the future of The Intercept

Friday, December 27, 2024

Next year, our founding donor will wrap up after a decade of generous investment, and we will transition to a primarily reader-funded nonprofit news outlet. Ten years ago, eBay founder and

Startup radar: 4 early-stage companies in Seattle | Flying Fish raising a new fund

Friday, December 27, 2024

Washington senator with Microsoft roots gets new gig ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: GeekWire's special series marks Microsoft's 50th anniversary by looking at what's next for a

Sounds like accountability.

Friday, December 27, 2024

Now, it's time to build on our success. In 2025, we want Lever Time to help decide which voices and ideas are elevated into popular discourse. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

For a summer glow in the dead of winter

Friday, December 27, 2024

A self-tanner we love View in browser Ad The Recommendation December 27, 2024 Ad A beginner-friendly self-tanner that won't make you look orange A bottle of Beauty By Earth Self Tanner Tanning

Avalanche Dogs, Owl Rescue, and Kirk Cousins Prays

Friday, December 27, 2024

The Colorado Rapid Avalanche Deployment's Winter Course, often called “Dog School,” is a rigorous yet playful training ground for avalanche rescue dogs and their handlers. ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏