In Part 7 of the Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome series, Kaleesha Washington continues Chapter 2, “Whole to Three-Fifths: Dehumanization,” by examining the Three-Fifths Compromise and the political decisions that allowed slavery to continue in the newly formed United States.

This episode explores the debates of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, including South Carolina's threat to reject the Constitution if slavery were abolished and the compromises that followed. Kaleesha breaks down the arguments made by James Madison and other delegates as they struggled to reconcile the contradiction of treating enslaved Africans as property while simultaneously counting them for political representation.

Topics discussed include:

• the Constitutional Convention of 1787
• South Carolina's role in preserving slavery
• the origins of the Three-Fifths Compromise
• representation, taxation, and political power
• James Madison's arguments regarding slavery
• the relationship between law and morality
• common misunderstandings about the Three-Fifths Compromise
• and the long-term consequences of choosing compromise over justice

Drawing from her experience as a historian and former history teacher, Kaleesha examines how America's founders grappled with slavery and why those decisions still matter today.

This episode also challenges the popular interpretation that enslaved people were simply considered "three-fifths of a person." Instead, it explores the political realities behind the compromise and asks deeper questions about power, representation, and the willingness of a nation to sacrifice principle for unity.

This is Part 7 of an ongoing series discussing Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America's Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing by Dr. Joy DeGruy.

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