On this day, February 24, 1836 the defenders of the Alamo appealed for help as they barricaded in the fortress against Mexican troops determined to thwart their quest for freedom.
Four years later, to the day, February 24, 1840, a former president, the son of a founding father and former president, John Quincy Adams – at the time a member of the House of Representatives – was arguing a case in the Supreme Court, representing strangers, slaves from Africa on a Spanish ship, La Amistad. Determined to regain their freedom, the slaves found themselves in New York, after a series of events.
The Alamo defenders were no match for the 5,000 strong Mexican troops. Similarly, the slaves on the Amistad were squared off against president Martin Van Buren – who was apparently neutral – yes, neutral – on a moral issue, but chose to side with the Spanish King’s claim on the human cargo.
There are several issues here that call for attention on this anniversary: Human trafficking – of children and women (defenseless, vulnerable members of society) – is thriving today, even more than in the days of the Amistad. The need for Abolitionists and John Quincy Adams’s could not be greater. The greatest tragedy is not so much in the traffickers of human beings but in the silence of the righteous. Silence, neutrality, apathy – these are the collaborators.
The second lesson is for a more universal perspective in every community. The majority of the victims of injustices are probably not in your backyard. They may even be no more than statistics heard of once in a while. Sometimes they may even be chance faces on a television screen, momentarily visible but quickly forgotten.
Cincinnati’s reputation includes being a refuge for slaves in transit. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in downtown Cincinnati is a testimony to that legacy.
It is good to cherish the legacy today, but it is even more meritorious to live it and be active against the same social ill still thriving around the world.
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