A Red RecordSlavery is one of America's greatest regrets. Treating a human with the same beating heart as worthless trash just because of the color of their skin is a fact that will forever remain in the history of our country. Those marked as slaves were sold, tortured, demoralized, raped and killed. After emancipation, during which slavery was made illegal, many would think that the horrors were over and that America as a whole had begun a new page. Unfortunately, the Southern man, refusing to advance, tried to hold back the colored man as best he could. Their premeditated plans and actions to find an excuse to continue torturing and killing the black man continued for years, which are documented in “A Red Record”. This story describes the harrowing events that African Americans experienced and the injustice of the time. By capturing and sharing this story, we will ensure these mistakes can never be repeated again. Ida B. Wells-Barnett is an investigative journalist who has written honestly and candidly about the tragedies and ongoing struggles of the black man. She was still very involved in this issue, even after gaining freedom and the right to vote. Statistics showed that death and disparity continued to befall the black people of the South, where the white man had "been educated so long in this school of practice" (page 677, paragraph 2). Yet, among the countless murders of blacks committed by the white man, only three had been found guilty. The white man of the South, although opposed to the freedom of blacks, will ultimately have to face the changing times. However, they took every opportunity and every excuse to justify their continued horrors. There were three main excuses why the Southern white man had presented himself amidst paper files. Everyone loves happy endings. Everyone loves to see the hero emerge or the people triumph over adversity and face denial. No one really wants to talk about the difficulties that came before, especially when they are so graphic and unforgiving in nature. However, these incidents and stories need to be told, they paved the way to where we are today. Wells-Barnett wrote, “…thousands of brave black men have gone to their graves, exemplifying one by dying for the other” (p. 678, par. 4). This phrase itself speaks of hope and victory for black people, which is why the Red Record plays such an important role not only in African American history, but also in the history of America in its entirety. Works Cited Gates, Henry Louis and Nellie Y. McKay. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: WW Norton &, 2004. Print.