Abolitionists
The abolitionist movement was an organized effort to end the practice of slavery in the United States. The first leaders of the campaign, which took place from about 1830 to 1870, mimicked some of the same tactics British abolitionists had used to end slavery in Great Britain in the 1830s
John Smith is mostly associated with being the first colonial leader to settle the first permanent English settlement in America. He helped set up the colony of Jamestown in present day Virginia.
Look up the racism throughout US history, the conditions of the slave trade were awful, hard hours in extreme heat, no breaks, and awful sexually abused as well as physical abuse from slave masters. Now fast forward past the American revolution. Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg address “ four score and seven years ago our fathers brought fourth on this nation, a new nation conceived of liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal” racism against blacks started to deteriorate by the end of the 1800’s but was still largely prevalent. From the KKK still operating in the south, they still had little amount of human rights, as well as social rights. Referring to blacks as Racial slurs were still a thing. You have rebels of the slave trade like Harriet Tubman and Sujurnor Truth. Look up what they did. Then fast forward to Rosa parks who was a civil rights activist. In the time of segregation, She refused to give up her bus seat to a white man after being asked to do so. This was a brave act and statement towards civil rights of blacks. And then finally let’s finish off with Martin Luther King, and his speech “I have a dream” during his march on Washington. Not to mention the black panther organization later in the 60’s. Some of this is greatly felt today. This should answer your question.