Below is an article I was interviewed for with Black America Web (Tom Joyner's site) about the feasibility of reparations. There was a time when reparations seemed impossible. With the recent decision to apologize for slavery made by the House of Representatives (which should have occured long ago), we might be getting somewhere with this.
Would reparations be the right thing to do? Absolutely. The problem is that our country isn't always in the habit of doing the right thing. I shouldn't be teaching in a business school that has not tenured a black man or woman in over 120 years, but that's just the way things are.
The article is below, enjoy!
Date: Thursday, July 31, 2008
By: Sherrel Wheeler Stewart, BlackAmericaWeb.com
Tuesday’s apology for slavery and Jim Crow segregation from the U.S. House of Representatives is a necessary step toward healing some of America’s racial ills and could open the door for serious dialogue on reparations, some observers say.
“When you admit to guilt, the next thing people say is, ‘what are you going to do to make it right?’” Syracuse University professor Boyce Watkins told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “If you admit something was stolen, you have to give something back. It opens the door for additional conversation about reparations.”
“The U.S. House deserves credit for taking this step, but the proof is in the potato salad,” he said. “If you don’t follow the apology with action, talk is cheap. Talk is less expensive than reparations.”
The move toward slavery apologies in several instances in recent months have been accompanied by initiatives to benefit blacks whose families were harmed by slavery and Jim Crow segregation laws.
JP Morgan’s top officers in 2005 — William B. Harrison Jr. and Jamie Dimon — wrote a letter apologizing to the descendents of slaves. The company pledged to set up a $5 million scholarship fund for blacks.
In 2007, Brown University pledged to raise $10 million for local public school and also give free tuition to black graduate students after a report showed that slave labor was used in the university’s early years.
Watkins says it is programs and initiatives that help build institutions and wealth in the black community that bring the most benefit.
“I am not a fan of everybody getting a check. That doesn’t make much sense. I would favor engaging in specific policies that would lead to the restructuring of communities that have been devastated by segregation. Also, more focus on programs such as Head Start and more efforts to make inner city schools just as good as the schools in the suburbs,” Watkins said.
9 comments:
Right on...this is what I'm talking about! For some reason, most Black folks I know aren't in favor of reparations. The main argument I've heard is, "it will never happen" or "they'll never give them to us." Of course "they" will never voluntarily give us anything. It took a war to get us out of slavery and the threat of riots in the 1960's to secure our so-called civil rights. So, just like then, we'll have to grow a pair, stand up, and demand what's rightfully ours. I challenge anyone to debate me and provide a logical argument why reparations should not be paid in some form for the injustices of slavery, Jim Crow, and taxation without representation in many counties under Jim Crow.
Tre,
I think the reason that many people are not in favor of reparations is because it has usually been presented that all black people in America who were descendents of slaves would get a check. The logistics of this would be very difficult. 1) Most black people have enough difficulty trying to trace their own family history for personal reasons since records are hard to come by sometimes. So this would be the government trying to do geneology on millions of people. 2) You couldn't really give it to all black people in the U.S. because all blacks here are not descendents of slaves.
I think the idea of reparations would be supported by more people if it were as Dr. Watkins presented it, which is putting the money into programming which benefit African-Americans. Things such as school improvement, after school programs, entrepreneurship assistance and scholarships would be a better use of funds than just handing out checks. My fear is that if we just all got handed checks, that most of us would not invest the money, buy real estate, put it towards college or pay off credit cards, etc. As one comedian said, reparations would just make Cadillac stock skyrocket.
Denise,
With all do respect the questions you raise hold no merit. What does any of that have to do with whether or not reparations are OWED. The only question that matters is if a past wrong was committed by our Govt. against blacks. If the answer is yes, then reparations are OWED.
You hypothesize about the logistics but thats not your job. Focus on the issue at hand. Are reparations OWED? Of course the obvious answer is yes. So what someone supposedly may do with any money received or the logistics of any settlement are completely irrelevant to question of whether reparations are OWED or not. The media has successfully used similar arguments you posed to distract many blacks from the core issue at hand.
Everyone should not get a check for reparations. They should put the money into developing black schools and businesses and create opportunities for black people. That would make more sense.
Where does affirmative action stop and reparations begin? If more money is funnelled into black schools and black businesses, is it affirmative action or reparation?
Truthfully, I feel that reparations must be made psychologically in order for us to move forward. I don't care in what form anyone believes the government should re-pay. What good is developing black schools and black businesses if we do not establish a timeline for achievement and the country remains divided? Black prosperity was dealt a major blow in the 1900's at the hand of white racists who bombed successful Black communities. That was without the benefit of reparations. What do you expect to happen should we prosper on what white America considers to be their dime?
Here you all are putting the cart before the horse and buying PDAs for every black school student when you have the core of a country to convince and much of the black community to empower. Are we OWED reparations? NO!!! Reparations to me implies that the senseless bondage, torture, defamation and murder of our ancestors can somehow be repaired with "dead presidents". For the injustice of slavery, this country deserved all-out and extensive warfare within its own borders.
In 2008, we must focus on expanding the impact of affirmative action beyond opening doors for those of us with credentials to mending the minds of our black youth and this nation as a whole and creating opportunities on an academic level to obtain credentials and a confidence to match.
I swear, if I get a check in the mail, I will do everything in my power to ensure that the government NEVER EVER stops paying!!
Hello to my people,
Regarding reparations! I am personally tired of so-called leaders deciding if I should get money for the injustice' of the past. I want money! Money is what capitalism is about and without it you don't matter in America.
I will decide what to do with the money, such as, start a business, get a degree, ect. It's my life, my ancestors suffered for me. I want to get paid period!
Look what happened with affirmative action in the past. The power structure did everything they could to counter-act the gains made through affirmative action programs. Illegal aliens from every part of the world taking our jobs, high prices for homes, food, gas, clothing, shoes, health care, medicines, you name it, and we are overtaken by policies that keep us down.
They will always come up with a way to demolish our gains, but money will provide an independence that can cushion the blows. I want my money. Let's start with a few million per person and guaranteed college educations. A new house and the 40 acres promised. A new (green) car can be added to help the ecology. Solar panels on top of roofs to provide heating and windmills for electricity. Now address these issues not with a hat out, but with demands.
LBC Illinois
This issue is very touchy. Giving us money is not a topic for discussion. It is a given. Without the money, we can easily slip or be forced back into our present situation.
I feel that we need lots of history concerning many things. Of course, a deep understanding of finance, education, economics, political and such things are a must. However, There are much more serious things that we need to consider.
1. We need to understand what was the cause of us being forced into slavery, why was it that some Africans were free (after their indentured servant contracts were complete) and other Africans were enslaved. How and when was this white supremacy, in the United States, formed and completed.
2. We call America our home, but the sad thing about it, is the fact that we are the only immigrants, those ancestors that came on their own free will, or forced here do not have a country that we can call home. I am aware that we can claim the whole of Africa as our home, which is true because, the "land" did not belong to the people, according to history, belief it or not. Without land or a country, how can we be protected or have a "our home country" stand up an protect us.
3. What about defense? We are at the mercy of other people's ability or willingness to protect us.
4. We have no national hospitals that I know of. How many blacks own major international companies that operate internationally? I am not talking about importing to, but actually facilities located in other countries? How many of us have international businesses that sells goods in other countries at profit margins of millions or billions. They say that 90% of the businesses in America are private owned, but that 10 percent that is not privately owned engages in 90% of the international business that is coming from that states.
I live in Japan. Here, if you have a good product, it can be very simple and cheap, that becomes popular, you can make millions in a 6 months. Fubu cleaned up in Japan. I do not know if the products were fake or not, but I do know that their items were selling and they were expensive.
5. We need to create our own police department that answers to our black government or at least have the power like white owns where the sheriff can let a person out off jail and not get charged for perjury.
I can go on and on. We need to really think about this. The white population is decreasing. The Southern America's populations are increasing. If they start to become the next power holders in America, then what will we do, if they start that same kind of racial system against us. We lack far too much. All this talking is good, but I think we should try and serious start implementing study and learning programs that can be taught, discussed and studied will hanging out in the streets, playing basketball, or on Myspace. What we really lack is time. I have tried to organized things when I was in the states. I was not taken serious.
I will say that we should get paid, but we need to form companies, that, get involved in this international market.
Scientists and the like are really lacking in our communities. Now that "ECO" reality is setting in, the world is making a change. We need to be in on this also.
What am I doing? Just teaching English and trying to organize an African-American Group out here that focuses on meeting the needs that we lack here. Many of us do not even speak to each other on the streets here. It will be challenging, but the same mind set of not trusting each other is here. Plus too many of the men are interested in the sex and the beauty of these Japanese women. Jealousy is out of control here.
Everyone is in the business of profiting for themselves, which in not bad, but there is not much networking going on or I have not found one, yet. There is a community site called "soulgen" I think. Check it out and see what other brothers and sisters are doing in Japan.
What do you think would happen, we started pursuing the technology of building our own Black owned and ran nuclear power plant in our beautiful country called "America"?
We need to do what we can with the time that we have. Until that money is received and other things are set in effective operational status, we can or may have the great opportunity to take the optimal advantage. In other words, let's get the basics out of the way. Much of this can be done in community centers or in homes like some do for Bible study.
I have no degree. I do read a lot. I have met and listen to many millionaires from all of the world. Do you know how that made their money? You would not believe it if I told you. Their secret is not what they sell, it is to whom they sell.
This is just my opinion.
Peace,
Sorry this is too long.
I'm the one that said we aren't owed reparations earlier. In response to the person talking about my talking about affirmative action, I did not try to equate affirmative action with reparations. I asked a question, which has garnered attacks but no answers.
There is an issue when we as Black people have problems with programs that benefit us because they benefit others. The key is to ensure that they benefit us. As would be the case with reparations, others will benefit, and we are disillusioned if we believe otherwise.
Nonetheless, my issue with reparations remains that it is a slap in the face for the US government to stroke a check to make slavery all better. Justice and reparations are also two very separate issues. How could 400 years of enslavement and countless criminal acts cost a hot mill when sleeping with a white woman during slavery would quickly cost your life and possibly more? That's not justice. That's reparations. That's settling for less than you deserve.
Reparations will not fix this country or the world. But maybe it's not your agenda to fix things. Maybe you just want your mortgage and Bentley paid off and you're good. For reparations to work, a lot of minds have to be changed, namely mine which requires a complete brainwashing to believe we can be paid off for the crimes of slavery. Also, the minds of those who do not feel accountable for the crimes of their ancestors must be changed. I don't fear white retaliation. Those are your words. I believe greater success for our people is long overdue and that we can achieve it while gaining the support of the country as a whole. If not, it can be achieved without it. Fighting for reparations is fighting to be bought AGAIN!! That is the epitome of slave mentality.
Wow,
I have been black all my life. When reparations are dished out, I wonder how many others will have a percentage shift to "black"?
My dad was born in 1919 and my grandfather was in his seventies when my dad was born-I suppose my grandfather was a slave who was freed by the "Emancipation Proclamation"
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