The Fourteenath Amendment and the Poverty of African American

Abstract

Following the Civil War Congress passed the 14th amendment to the constitution. It granted citizenship to African Americans and forbade any state government from taking away life, liberty or property of any person without due process of law. However, the amendment benefited the corporations with little help to black Americans. Each time a state decided to curb the monopoly power of a business, the courts would step in and proclaim that the state flouted the due process clause. This collusion between the government and corporations has contributed to high rates of poverty in America, especially among African American communities.