Why was reconstruction a significant period for black empowerment

Reconstruction was a chance for ex-slaves and black sharecroppers to gain leverage over their newfound freedom following the Civil War. The period gave black people a chance to prove that they could contribute to the economy in a prosperous manner and build their own legacy as a community to contest the history of oppression suffered by their ancestors.

11.27

rounded to the nearest 0.01 or

the hundredths place.