Kentucky’s state constitution currently bans “slavery and involuntary servitude,” except as criminal punishment. State representative George Brown, a Democrat from Lexington, filed House Bill 121 to have the institution fully banned.
Patricia Gailey represents Abolish Slavery Kentucky. She spoke in support of the legislation during a press conference Tuesday.
“What other words in our Constitution are thought to be so insignificant that we could set that aside? None. We're talking about crimes against humanity here,” Gailey said.
Savvy Shabazz represents the civil rights group All of Us or None. He called the clause a “lingering presence” of historic inequality during a Tuesday press conference.
“The presence of the slavery clause and involuntary servitude in Kentucky's constitution perpetuates a painful legacy of oppression and dehumanization,” Shabazz said.
Representative Brown filed a similar bill during last year’s session, but that didn’t make it out of committee.
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