How Reparations Can Help
The Government's Responsibility
In a time where the government and citizens constantly debate over reparations, this would be a primary example why it is necessary. The primary weak argument is "Who would get reparations? Slaves aren't alive anymore." But these seven women are still alive and went back to that town this year. If anybody deserves reparations, it would be those women and their families. Holocaust survivors were given monetary compensation. Native Americans were given casinos and reservations. Black people have been given nothing to compensate them for the wrongdoings of four hundred years of slavery, segregation from Jim Crow laws, police brutality, racial profiling, etc. We are simply told that "it's too late." But what is not discussed is that during the time when the opportunities were fresh to talk about reparations, blacks were so terrified of being lynched, kidnapped, beaten, and raped all over again that they were content finally being able to drink out of a water fountain, use a bathroom instead of the grass, and go to a school without being spit on daily.
Now that black people have finally evolved to a certain extent in politics, business, and housing, should we just shut up and get over it? I don't understand that theory. If I walk outside and smack someone right now, I'm going to jail if they press charges. I'd like nothing more than to meet one of the people who was a participant in Jim Crow laws and smack the hell out of them. Then go to court and say "Well, that was hours ago. They should've gotten over it by now." No matter how much time that has passed, people have a right to justice. In a debate I had a few months ago, a white man debated that there is no fair way to distribute funds to every black person because we cannot prove which ancestors were here by choice and which ones were here involuntarily. This is indeed true. We cannot account for every black person in America and even biracial children. Should they be given money for their black side? My concern is whether Native Americans were picked apart this way. Was each one individually chosen to receive land (again!), employment, or a business opportunity? Or was it a collective government fund that shared with this group?
Honestly, I come from a middle-class home and I do not need reparations the same way that many people do. There are so many black homeless, unemployed, and poor people. If the money were to be divvied out, could it not be shared with them? It's no secret who makes more money or less money considering the Census takes care of that. It is no secret that genocide is still running rampant and the government is still taking over land that was meant to compensate for our culture. For example, the Cabrini Green projects (Chicago) were rebuilt without the tenants' permission. They were told that the land would be rebuilt into condos and they were welcome to move back if they were willing to pay rent that was almost triple their usual cost. If these people could barely afford to pay low income housing rent, how could they possibly afford to pay for condos? The same thing is happening with the people from Hurricane Katrina. Why can't they receive help? Even if everyone doesn't get a fair share of the pain that their ancestors have gone through, why is it not okay to help out those who are desperately in need of everything because their homes are gone?
In a conversation with an African young man about this topic, he said "Bleh. It's been too long and the government should just apologize." What can a person who can barely survive do with "I'm sorry"? "I'm sorry" doesn't pay bills, doesn't put food on the table, doesn't put diapers on children, doesn't get you to and from work, and it definitely wouldn't be heartfelt. As cheap as the government is when it comes to helping those who really need it, black Americans would know they really meant it if we were given an equal opportunity in economic situations.
I am not delusional enough to believe that everyone who is black and poor is from slavery. That is just not true. There are lazy people from all races. There are underachievers in all culture. If the government is nosey enough to tap phone calls, then they should be able to research those who have suffered from economical situations bigger than them. If the government can waste time on the moon, they can help poor people on Earth. If the government can put millions of dollars into game shows, lottery tickets, and "pimping" someone's ride, then money can be made. It is a simple procedure to refund money back to those who need it…and have received nothing. The federal government can not charge black people taxes from their paychecks. This is the most accurate way to tell who has actually been trying to get a job and who's been sitting on their rumps waiting on a handout. But what happens to those black people who cannot get a job, with our terrible economy? Should they be shunned? I believe it would depend on their activities while being unemployed. Affirmative Action was supposed to balance out the diversity in the workplace but black people are having just as hard a time finding jobs as they were before. All Affirmative Action did was partially level the playing field. Something like taxes is set in stone. Would doing something like this make it even harder for a black person to find a job? Not if it is done fairly. Then again, America isn't too big on doing things fairly. So how would it work? The pattern of job employment would be able to tell whether a person has just found a job to receive reparations or whether they have been working all along. This is the most practical way to send an "I'm sorry" that'll actually matter and help one's living situation in the process.
And if money cannot be given to the black people suffering now, why can't people, like these seven women who risked their lives in their pre-teenage years, be compensated for a childhood down the drain? Jim Crow has not been outlawed for that long. There are still people who marched for their civil rights walking around to this day. How about the government "apologizing" to them by giving them something that they lost from being abused, jailed, and terrified? Something that doesn't shun them to "Get Over It" as if it were possible.
Published by Shamontiel
Shamontiel is the author of Round Trip and Change for a Twenty, and in mid-October became the Chicago Tribune s Digital News Editor. She works on National Travel, Health and occasionally Breaking News, and w... View profile
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- Caucasians United for Reparations and Emancipation
- "Apologies" for Slavery? And, Possible Reparations?
- What About My 40 Acres & a Mule?
- REPARATION COUPONS
- Jim Crow Laws Effect on Interracial Marriage Today
- Is the War on Drugs the New Jim Crow?
- Owens, Donna. ; "Stolen Girls." Essence Magazine, June 2006.
- Essence magazine interviewed the women of the Americus March in June 2006.
- Six of the women returned to Lessburg Stockade in January of 2005.
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20 Comments
Post a CommentHere is yet another book I had the pleasure of checking out about African-Americans who contributed to the railroad system. It gives details of the Pullman Porters, Black female railroaders, and of course slaves who became railroad workers. And this is documentation as late as the 1950s and 1960s. THESE FOLKS ARE STILL ALIVE! Somebody ought to compensate the for their work that we survive from now. "Railroads in the African American Experience" http://www.amazon.com/Railroads-African-American-Experience-Photographic/dp/0801891620/ref=cm_cr-mr-title
Tabitha, you sent me a personal message and basically accused me of being racist against anyone who is not Black and being unsympathetic to other minorities who have gone through issues. 1) I went to various reservations in my girl scout years, went to pow wows, talked regularly with Native American activists in Marquette, MI, and signed the petitions for the slurs in team names. 2) I have been against the war from day one and speak out against racial discrimination against Middle Eastern people regularly. 3) I ended up in the Human Resources office because I was livid at a comment a German employee of mine made about how Jewish people should get over the Holocaust. You will NOT tell me I only care about discrimination of my own culture. The next time you want to tell me about myself, make sure you know me.
Tabitha, flat out, you're not going to post a link on my article redirecting me to something that my article has NOTHING to do with. When you want to talk about slavery reparations or Jim Crow law/Civil Rights repartions, post THAT link. If you want to talk about the women in this article who deserve reparations, feel free. I have not misunderstood your point, but your whole attitude is to (instead of acknowledge that Black people are still suffering as a result of slavery with police corruption, racial profiling, the job market, gentrification) point out other cultures also having issues. But these are cultures that someone would have to have personal knowledge of to notice. I am deadset against Middle Eastern people being racially profiled and do not support this war. But you have GOT to come out of Colorado and visit more diverse areas. You might learn something other than what the Board of Education has shoved down your throat.
Tabitha, once again, instead of acknowledging the subject I'm talking about (racism against African Americans), you continuously change the subject, which is something very common in American society. People are not willing to admit that Black American history is really messed up and respond with the immaturity of "it was in the past" not acknowledging that the effects are STILL here. As for racial profiling with people of Middle Eastern descent, I never said they should be discriminated against. I'm against that too. However, you're not about to compare 400 years to 6 years. By the time we have the next president, this discriminating could be improved. There was NEVER improvement for Black Americans. My ancestors went from slavery to Jim Crow laws. It's only been a few decades that Jim Crow laws were outlawed. And one again, you are STILL not acknowledging the people who never got any compensation such as the women within this article. They should be compensated. Instead, they got no
I have read your article in full, but somehow, I'm certain that you do not understand my point. It's not that African Americans do or do not have a valid claim to reparations, it's the larger picture of what would need to happen for those reparations to be paid. At this point, claiming that reparations would have a real impact on the community is ridiculous. In fact, claiming that reparations at this point would have a real impact on most communities is false. African Americans have made a very strong place for themselves in America, and many are very successful entreprenuers, or top level executives. The problems with various cultures in America today is not the lack of reparations, but a problem with the American system as a whole. Good luck to you, I wish you well. I will not post again until I send the link to my article concerning the Lakota, which I am certain you will find interesting.
Jewish people did get some form of reparations for the Holocaust. Black people have gotten NONE and there are STILL people around who are alive and suffering from it. I pointed this out within the article. Stop commenting on my articles until you read the piece in full. As for African Americans suffering, a third of Black men are in prison. You think that's coincidental and they all deserve to be there? Prison replaced slavery and then you have cops like one who shoved a broomstick up Abner Louima's rectum because he was Black to prove the effects of slavery. You have issues where Justin Barker got no punishment for jumping Robert Bailey Jr. but all of the Jena 6 are being tried. You have the Amadou Diallo case, Sean Bell case, Emmitt Till's ongoing case, and a slew of others. Cops don't drive down the street pulling people over because somebody looks Jewish. They are pulling Black people over in record numbers for "reasonable cause" that has everything to do with brown skin.
Concerning people of Middle Eastern decent, I'm understanding you to say that the crimes that are being committed against them are acceptable because 9/11 happened a few years ago? I'm not sure how to understand you. I would think, as someone who is opposed to racial profiling, and also someone who speaks for those who have endured hardships based on race, you would be sympathetic to the plight of ALL people who have been forced to endure discrimination. I for one, do not think the relatively short time frame since 9/11 is an excuse for the torture of any person alive today. Aren't we just creating more victims that will need reparations (by your standards) in the future? Or are reparations only required for those who were slaves over 150 years ago? What about victims today?
And you also said "I do not see how this qualifies all African Americans as victims." Yes, you also don't see ANYWHERE in my article where I said all African Americans are victims. Before you comment on another one of my articles or this one, make sure you read it first. You have done just what Kelly Pelton did. Instead of reading my piece in full to explain who SHOULD get reparations, you immediately assumed I meant everybody and ran with it. Talking about other peoples' hardships does NOT erase the 400 years of captivity, especially when you compare it to people who HAVE received reparations.
For clarification...Jewish people were lynched and tortured in America and have received absolutely NO REPARATIONS for this. Please see the ADL website, and I will be posting a link to my article concerning the plight of the Lakota Sioux once it has been published.
And if you had read my comment carefully, you would understand my point about science. The government says they don't have the funding for reparations, but they can go to the moon. They can't handle the issues that happened HERE in ONE country, so why go mess up another planet?! This article isn't about science. This article is about how the government is in denial about people who need reparations. Emmitt Till's mother has gotten zero justice for her son being brutally tortured, and you'd have to be seriously delusional to think that wasn't a result of the effects of slavery.