African Americans; Compensation for Slavery? Reperations?
When Czar Alexander II freed the serfs from their imprisonment, disenfranchisement, and exploitation to a large degree by outlawing serfdom as a free source of labor the government of Russia as well as aristocratic landowners (remember this is before the country was a collection of soviets working for the Communist cause) gave them large loans and land/ positions in the cities as industrial workers. When Abraham Lincoln signed into law the Emancipation Proclamation the Africans (At this point African-Americans) were freed; but with nowhere to go and nothing much to do. Many southern white companies wouldn’t hire them and some, when they needed cheap labor, looked to foreigners instead of the unemployed free blacks right under their noses. The government and the powers-that-be did nothing to fund education for the newly freed blacks and a diaspora of some blacks across the country led to slums and ghettos that exist still today (see Harlem). Unfortunately, this degradation continued throughout the generations and now most blacks are born into a low socio-economic class in America and have undeniably less advantages then rich people. It is only now (very recently) that the government is giving these people handouts (College funds from the government based on being black or Latino, ASPCA grants for education for black students, Quota System in the Affirmative Action in place in most States forces places to have a certain amount of blacks and minorities indirectly forcing them to hire blacks instead of whites in some situations under penalty of law). Obviously we went wrong somewhere, and these small reverse-racism programs aren’t helping. We should have given them there 40 acres and a mule, as was promised to them by some politicians but was never delivered. So does this situation have to continue in the way it is going? OR should we give African Americans who can trace their lineage to past slaves reparations (their deserved 40 acres and a mule)? I’m not asking what we SHOULD have done, I’m asking what we should do now!!!!
The A.A.’s never got their 40 acres and a mule. We shouldn’t be hurting whites by making programs that explicitly help blacks only. That’s unfair and unethical. I agree with some of you that more money should be given to their COMMUNITIES not them as individuals; but as liberals have shown us this doesn’t really help as the money is wasted and social workers don’t like contributing; a teacher fresh out of college has a better career in a hoi-palloi white neighborhood then a down-trodden black neighborhood. Give them their one shot reparations and they’ll never have any right to complain about their low-status as a result of no compensation and we could end these reverse-racism programs that help minorities. Further more, we shouldn’t even have programs that help minorities who are not black, because we didn’t enslave non-blacks for the most part and their low socioeconomic status is due to them not the nation. I like the “blacks should be content with breathing” thing you wrote.
The slaves were given the option of returning to Africa, and under better conditions than they were brought here. Enough took advantage of the offer to found a country which is now known as Liberia.
Holy hooopala Batman….Gotdamn that’s too much to be reading.
Short Answer- I don’t think black people, per person should be compensated, but I believe our communities need things that white communities have, like banks for instance. I personally believe all minority communities need one. I don’t appreciate the Bernie Madoff’s of the white community investing in whatever they see fit (usually themselves). Black people as well as all minorities that got screwed over need “personalized” things that only their community will benefit from. Like lets say I give my investments to a white investor, and he decides to invest my money in a up and coming golf club company. That doesn’t do anything for me, because I don’t play golf, or black people because we don’t play golf as much as white people.
very thoughtful and insightful of you. But, this country does not want to repair the AA people- we have to do it on our own. Generations and centuries worth of damage- to the family structure. America even gave reparations to the Japanese that were held in camps during the war- Germans gave the Jewish reparations, The South African Gov.’t gave South Africans reparations for apartheid…etc…but AA’s are expected to be happy with breathing.
I’ve said this all the time. African Americans shouldn’t each be given an amount of money b/c I think that is too, seedy, if you know what I mean. (EDIT) I also think that now its unfortunately too late and thats why reparations in terms of money can’t be an option.
I think that its much better to put money in poor african american communities, where housing is poor, schools have little resources and crime is rampant. Although these people have gotta co operate also, I do think that when given the oppurtunity hopefully the intelligent people will grasp it.
I also full heartedly agree with Cocoa Butter.
Makes sense to me. The Native Americans got ‘em. The Japanese got ‘em. The Jews got ‘em. The slaves got nothing. They were “freed” into a society that disenfranchised them for centuries and made it difficult for them to survive on their own. They were denied education, library cards, access to well-paying jobs, access to certain seats in buses, trains, theaters, and diners. That is not freedom.
I believe in working hard for what you have, but when you start 5 miles behind everyone else in the race, would a jump start really hurt?
1 cent.
I think that black Americans should get compensation, but it shouldn’t be monetary. Black Americans contribution to this country is priceless, so their reparations should be as well. Something in the form of say making the government pay the higher education fees for the descendants of slaves. I like that because it gives black Americans something priceless (an education), but they would still have to earn the full extent of the benefits through hard work.
What would you do with a mule if you were given one?
Reparations (NOTE–reparations is spelled correctly this time)
Maybe they could be made in the form of some government giveaway programs like Welfare and Medicaid for four and five generations in the same family, scholarships and grants for advanced schooling (most of which go begging), or quota systems and affirmative action. Even more, they could have their own Congressional Caucus, a history month, a segregated entertainment channel on TV, a segregated Miss America contest, magazines which could be called Jet or Ebony or something (Sort of like Cloud or Snow Magazine)
My Ancestor’s we’re slaves up to my great great grandma do I want compensation for it as in cash in hand?No! what I want is fucking decent paying jobs in my community decent schools and cops that won’t shoot me just cause I fit the description oh and a truly blind justice system.
Give me that and we can forget the whole slavery thing ever happened.
I agree with what almost everything everybody said and you as well. But I don’t agree that Affirmative Action is a form of “reverse racism”, but I do agree that America did go wrong because remember White Women benefit from it more so it has a smaller affect on blacks. Affirmative Action hasn’t really helped out a lot of blacks (who are a minority), it seems to be helping out the Majority. I’m of African slave decent. My mom decedent of U.S American slaves, and dad from Jamaican slavery decent. I don’t understand how many other countries gave the people they held captive as slaves, or manual laborers reparations yet the U.S. didn’t, except for with Japanese. It is too late to give a proper reparation as far as money goes, but giving a reparation of some sort would really help the poverty stricken areas that some blacks live in, and were born into. I’m not saying give me money but a fair neighborhood, to live, and learn in. As well as a place where racial profiling is not running rampant As as far as we may have come in America many of us are still waiting for a leveled playing field.
Too much explanation. Bottom line is we should not expect those in power to give us anything even if we are owed. We would do better making our own way..
Wealth has always been the original basis for classism. Imagine this – If all blacks suddenly became the richest people in the world overnight, racism would not vanish altogether, but definitely drop like a ton of bricks !
My point is that economic upliftment is essential to removing prejudice against any ethnicity. With removal of poverty, education would ensue, crime would drop and stereotypes would change.
“Give them their one shot reparations and they’ll never have any right to complain about their low-status as a result of no compensation and we could end these reverse-racism programs that help minorities.”
Your entire rant is so double faced that I don’t know what it is that you really want to say !
But This much I know – We were wronged. But like Ogun says, we can not expect anything from anyone and have to help ourselves (no pun intended).
Good post. I have to start working out more. Need to find me a
scholarship for moms too lol gosh!