as chief justice taney sadly made all too clear in the infamous dred scott case, he said of african-americans, and i quote from his decision, african-americans were not included and were not intended to be included under the word citizen under the constitution and could not claim the rights and privileges. on the contrary, they were at that time considered as a subordinate and inferior class of beings who had been subjugated by the dominant race. and whether emancipated or not, yet remain subject to their authority and had no rights or privileges, but shook as those who held the power and the government might choose to grant it. one of the saddest decisions ever made by the supreme court of the united states. while the reconstruction amendments, the 13th amendment banning slave rirk the 14th amendment granting full citizenship to all merps, and the 15th amendment guaranteeing the right to vote spoused equaled for all, widespread oppression continued. jim-crow laws, african-americans were denied voting rights, denied employment opportunities, denied access to public accommodations, denied entr