The struggle against segregation, discrimination and isolation is a protracted battle that claimed many lives. During the time of slavery to the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans longed for real freedom. For many centuries they were denied the basic rights of an American citizen. They were supposed to be free after the Civil War but this was not the case. Slavery was simply changed to segregation and isolation. In every generation African Americans needed to clarify the real meaning of freedom. Every time society tried to shortchange them, heroes came to fight for their rights. Although so many things have changed since the first Negro slave set foot on American soil, the struggle continues to this day. It is time to revisit the past in order to change the present. The following explains how African Americans ended segregation and isolation. Slavery and Emancipation Segregation, discrimination, and isolation are words without meaning if taken out of its context. In the case of African Americans, these words are full of meaning and in fact it can generate a great deal of emotions. In order to understand the struggle of African Americans to achieve equality in America, it is important to go back to the starting point. More than two hundred years ago Negro slaves from Africa and the Caribbean came to the United States via cargo ships owned and operated by slave traders. They are known as Negroes. It is a Spanish word for black. They became slaves because of the color of their skin. Their powerlessness emboldened slave traders. Their inability to stand up to their masters emboldened slave buyers. This trend continued even after the United States declared independence from British rule. Slave traders captured black skinned natives from the shores of Africa and transported them to America. There was high demand for slave labor in plantations located in the United States. The struggle against segregation, discrimination, and isolation began in the fight to end slavery. After the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain the founding fathers of the United States created the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In these sacred documents one can find statements regarding the inherent value of every human being. All those who were born and raised in the United States can claim citizenship. Their citizenship assures them that they have rights and privileges. It did not take long before the call to end slavery echoed throughout America. It will require the Civil War to abolish slavery in America. But before that can happen, Negro slaves had to make a stand. The fight to end slavery started with the realization that slaves must learn to read and write. According to John W. Fields, “The greater part of the plantation owners were very harsh if we were caught trying to learn or write. Our ignorance was the greatest hold the South had on us. We knew we could run away, but what then?” (Yetman, 2007). Slaves had to find a way to learn how to read and write. One of those who succeeded to read and write was a Negro slave named Frederick Douglas. He escaped from slavery. A few years later he did not only master the skill of reading and writing, he also discovered that he ca