Civil Rights: news and commentary on a wide variety of civil rights issues

I took a race class in college and my professor made the argument that the first preamble of the Declaration of Independence offered civil rights. I disagree and he said I was wrong in that the declaration does not. I believe that the document was just a break up letter intended for England because the person who actually wrote “life liberty, pursuit of happiness” was George Mason and he did not sign the Declaration of Independence because Jefferson took some words out of George Masons phrase that would have promised civil rights to everyone even African Americans as he was against slavery (Make note: Mason did own slaves but the reason why politicians owned slaves when they are against it is a whole other discussion).

I do advocate for civil rights and believe that forcing restrictions on people is bad for mental health, the economy, rewards hate, and many other problems. But I’m just curious why some people use the Declaration of Independence to fight for civil liberties when it doesn’t promise civil liberties but makes a clear reason for why the people in the americas want to break from a tyrant government. To further the argument that the Declaration of Independence doesn’t offer civil rights look up Frances Declaration of the Rights of Man and it’s Citizens preamble and it’s 17 articles as they all guarantee civil liberties.