Under the 14th Amendment, African Americans could now legally claim the same constitutional rights afforded to all American citizens. People of African descent have been inextricably linked to the history of the land now known as Texas since the earliest days of colonization.( ) Sole Proprietor. 2 Id. 3 Scott, E. (27 March 2018). The 14th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified on July 9, 1868, and granted citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States," After emancipation in 1865, Black people continued their push for equal and civil rights as citizens. Legislature a Congressional plan that created a new African-American opportunity seat in the. Legislature a Congressional plan that created a new African-American opportunity seat in the. Vernon Harris is an African-American male and a former employee at the Bexar County Sheriff's Detention Center. Violation of 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.