Life of P.B.S. Pinchback the Honorary

P.B.S. Pinchback, born Pickney Benton Stewart Pinchback, was a freed slave and the son of a Mississippi white planter. Pinchback, a Republican and union soldier, made his way to Louisiana during the civil war, where during the Reconstruction era he was elected Lieutenant Governor and later served as Governor for six weeks. His political career later included election to the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. He is recognized for this as well as more, but this is not why I recognize Pinchback as a contributor to the Reconstruction.

Although Pinchback could pass for white and live as one among them, he chose not to. He used his advantage to further help blacks get equality among the whites. Pinchback’s color of course contributed to his achievements that in turn helped us.

Pinchback once served in the Union and soon was the only officer left among all other qualified blacks. This was mainly because of his skin color. Realizing this, he did not want his skin color to determine his rank, so he left.

Although his skin color said otherwise Pinchback was a true African American. He spent his life contributing to the empowerment of blacks, and I truly respect that. After reading about Pinchback, I asked myself whether or not my skin color determined how far I have gotten and whether or not my achievements are true or flukes. I hope they’re not, because I feel as though I earned my achievements, and I want to be accepted for me and not for my pale colored skin and in Pinchback’s case smooth hair also.

P.B .S. Pinchback is honorable for this and more and for his involvement in black empowerment and for paving the road for blacks following decades after!