Reconstruction is an integral part of the United States history about the prolonged fight against racism, which came after the American Civil War. It was characterized by the numerous efforts geared towards redressing the inequities of slavery, as well as creating a social and political revolution following the economic collapse due to the war (Foner, 2020). Over the years, there have been numerous debates about the reconstruction and its aftermath about tackling the issues relating to racism. One of the major failures of the reconstruction period was the failure of both federal and state governments to safeguard the rights of African Americans. At the time, Republican governments were unwilling to enact land reforms and provide former slaves with the resources they needed for economic empowerment. Reconstruction was a failure because the position of African Americans as a minority group and inferior members of the society did not improve.
Reconstruction did not address the problems of racism as evidenced in the inability of the state Republican parties to retain coalitions with African Americans. This is the reason for their failure to remain in power (Foner, 2020). Additionally, racial discrimination advanced from just being a southern problem to a challenge that spread across the country. There was a heightened focus on the expansion of the west and the soaring rate of industrialization much to the disadvantage of former slaves who had no one to address their issues. A lot of ground was lost following the reconstruction as evidenced in the fact that former slaves once again found themselves in a subordinate position within the society (Foner, 2020).
Although African Americans managed to carve out a considerable degree of independence within the southern society following the reconstruction efforts, the whole process failed on the part of addressing the stereotyping of individuals based on their race.
Reference
Foner, E. (2020). The second founding: How the civil war and reconstruction remade the constitution. W.W.Norton Incorporated.