Chocolate (chocolate in French)

In September of 1862, Paul Trevigne was a prominent man of color. He taught language in a Catholic school for black children. He also edited a bi-weekly French newspaper, L'Union. This newspaper was a clear call for the civil rights of free blacks.

He once wrote a salutatory editorial that said, "We inaugurate today a new era in the south. We proclaim the Declaration of Independence as the basis of our platform ... you who aspire to establish true republicanism, democracy without shackles, gather around us and contribute your grain of sand to the construction of the temple of liberty!" L'Union pressed for free black suffrage from 1862 into 1863.

Many free blacks believed in Trevigne's point of view. As a result freed blacks chose two delegates to represent them. The delegates were Jean Baptiste Roudanez and Arnold Bertonneau. They both met with Lincoln in Washington.

While they were gone Trevigne printed this "The qualification to vote should be based on the rightful capacity of all native and free born Americans by virtue of their nativity in the country, irrespective of national descent, wealth or intelligence, and that all not free, within the state be immediately enfranchised by the abolition of slavery in the state forever, and by a statute or constitutional provision declaring the absolute equality of all freemen as to their governmental rights."

Paul Trevigne was willing to give his life for black suffrage, but he wasn't the only one. So many people fought and gave their lives for black rights, and it is heartbreaking that most of them will remain anonymous.