Reparations
Do you think too much emphasis is placed on slavery and that Blacks should get over it? Do you think reparations are in order for American slavery? What about the Japanese Americans and Canadians who received reparations following World War II (WWII)? Why have Jews been able to overcome the Holocaust while Blacks seem to not have overcome slavery?
These are typical questions individuals ask when discussing reparations. However, most individuals do not know the true definition of reparations or the history of reparations in America and other parts of the world. Reparations are the process or act of being repaired. It normally entails making amends through compensation. While reparations normally entail monetary compensation, they are given as land, services, goods, and institutionally funded government programs.
Jews who were enslaved during the Holocaust received over $822 million. The Federal Republic of Germany provided $715 million in goods and services to the State of Israel as compensation for taking in survivors. $110 million were given to the Claims Conference for Programs to finance the relief, rehabilitation, and resettlement of Jewish Holocaust survivors. Direct reparations to selected individuals were also given over a 12-year period. Germany was once compensating 275,000 survivors. Today, approximately 120,000 living Holocaust survivors are still compensated as a result of the Holocaust.
Regarding Japanese Americans and Canadians who were imprisoned during WWII, the U.S. government had made unofficial restitutions worth $38 million by 1965. In 1988, Congress passed the Civil Liberties Act, which authorized both a Presidential apology and the beginning of reparation payments. Altogether, $20,000 each had been granted to 82,220 claimants, plus additional sums to 2,000 Peruvian citizens of Japanese descent who had been kidnapped and imprisoned during WWII in hopes of exchanging them for U.S. prisoners of war. Taken together, over $1.2 billion in reparations were paid for WWII imprisonment to Japanese Americans and Canadians. Regarding Native Americans, over $275 million and 250,000 square miles of land have been issued to Native American tribes.
In sum, reparations are possible and are given to make amends for wrong doing. In 1865, Blacks were told they would receive 40 acres and a mule. Unfortunately, they never saw any of this land. Since Blacks knew how to farm better than whites due to fielding during slavery, this idea was quickly placed by the way side as whites predicted a change in the economic slate of America with Blacks having a high rate of upward mobility. What would the economic and social arrangement of Blacks be if they received that land? What would their economic and social arrangement look like if they received similar compensation for their number of years enslaved as Jews, Japanese Americans and Canadians, and Native American groups?
If you are like most individuals, you did know these groups received reparations for this long and for this amount. Since Blacks do not have the political or economic power similar to the Jews or the Japanese, the investment in return for giving Blacks reparations is perceived to not be a good one for the U.S. government. I know most individuals have an opinion on reparations and that is a start. However, I would like to streamline your comments by considering the following questions:
Should States Apologize for Slavery? Should anyone, any group, or any entity apologize? Why or why not? If so, who or what?
Should Blacks be given reparations for slavery? Why or why not?
If so, what individuals and/or entities should receive reparations? You can also create a new government program(s) or revamp an existing one. These programs may include No Child Left Behind, Affirmative Action, etc.
How much money should be allocated for reparations? As you see from above, there is no amount too large.
Some forms of reparations may include but not limited to federal health care, discounts of home loans where government matches 2 to 1 and/or provides 10% down payment assistance, federal retirement packages, secure social security benefits, college tuition to any American university, compensation for the 25% less that Blacks earn on the dollar compared to whites, equitable education reform for underprivileged schools, an institutionalized mentoring program that entails Black professionals being given an allowance that pays for them to mentor and guide underprivileged youth, innovative minority and socially-based jobs and companies, and rewriting and teaching the factual history of America and beyond.
Let me note, EngageDiversity is staying neutral on this important issue. Most of these great suggestions stem from students in Rashawn Ray’s Race and Ethnic Relations course.
As always, we aim to continuously make individuals socially aware and encourage them to have an opinion on important matters. This issue has also been raised to Presidential candidates so it very much in the forefront of mainstream and public discourses. We look forward to your candid commits and responses.
Do I think Blacks should just get over it? Well let me ask you this, did the people get over the Moses parted the red sea, or did people get over Noah building the ark, or did people just get over 9/11, or did people just get over Bush cheating in the 2004 campaign? The answer: We got over it, just we have never forgotten! Things like this are marked in history for a reason. We don't go everywhere rubbing it in every White's face, but we did cherish the struggle! If we were "to just get over it" then it would be inhumane on our part to forget the lives gone for our upcoming in society.
I feel that for states to up and apologize now would be disrespect to Blacks. Of course none of the individuals that were in leadership then are in leadership now so what good would that do?
I feel of course Blacks should be given reparations, and not because I am a Black. If the Jews and Japanese can be given reparations for just a small portion of time, why not Blacks that had triple the time they had?
When it comes to how much should they get and who should get is the most important question. I was having the same discussion with some of my fraternity brothers in higher positions. This is the top three solutions we came with in the end of our 5 hour discussion.
1) Set up a way the Blacks can receive a portion of deduction towards owning a house. Rather it is through taxes, reduced payment or loan options, this will increase our rate of Blacks owning homes and real state.
2) Put the reparations into the rural communities and cities. It is understood that most of these communities of full of Blacks anyway so we will be helping by getting things needed like better playgrounds and investing in the school systems.
3) Build several programs in major Black locations (mainly the south) that assists ex-convicts to receive jobs after exiting prison.
Now any one of these will help build our community as a whole, so any one will be beneficial to me. However we will see how this will go into affect just as the 40 acres and a mule did.
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The posed question(s) is a very hard one to answer. I personally believe the time has come and past for any reparations or even and apology to come about in reference to slavery.
The individual states would just start a sort of battle within the country if only a few started apologizing. If the time were closer to the end of slavery then I think all these things would be appropriate. If we change the word slavery to another noun, I'm not sure which one, I believe that something could still definitely be done. It has been almost 150 years since formal, organized slavery has been abolished, but other issues that have definitely been more frequent and recent are another topic that I believe should be looked at as far as reparations go. There are many government programs in place right now for minorities, although I don't know enough about them to say they are satisfactory, nor do I know if they should be revamped. I don't think any amount of money could fix or make anyone feel better about what happened in the past, and it definitely shouldn't be used as means of leverage to gain someone's, or some group of peoples' trust.
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I believe that all 50 states should apologize for slavery, because although some were not states at the time, they can still acknowledge that slavery was wrong. I believe this apology should come from the state, not a particular group of people. I think that although in reality this may not do very much, it does show that America knows what happened was wrong. This may not be very much, but it’s still a good first step. It’s like someone saying their sorry for wronging you. It doesn’t solve the problem, but it does show that they realize that they were in the wrong.
2. This really depends on how the money is given out. If it means giving money to anyone that is black, then I do not think this is a good idea. It would be very hard to figure out who really was affected by slavery, and what happens to mixed people. Also, I believe that all Americans should pay. This is because of the sheer fact that we all get to bask in what America has become. Lastly, the money needs to go to intercity schools where the book “Savage Inequalities” clearly shows it’s needed. This would help black people in the long run, as it could lead to an equal playing ground for future generations to come. If all three of these elements are met, than yes I believe that reparations should be given out. However, if not than I think that it would be a bad idea.
3. As stated above the money should go to intercity school’s, because this would help blacks for a long time to come.
4. It’s very hard for me to give an exact amount of money that needs to be given out. Instead I think that the amount really needs to be whatever is needed to make the black intercity school’s equal to the more privileged schools in the nation. I think we should find that average dollar figure that is currently being spent per child, and in any school where this is not met give them X amount of dollars for this to happen. This would make all of the lower end school’s of our nation equal to the moderate schools that we currently have. This would not only help the black children who currently go there, but it would also help future generations as education is the basis for success.
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For the first question, I agree with Ellis. Although it would seem like a good gesture to apologize, what good would it really do now coming from the current government or individuals? An apology does not actually changed what happened. If someone (I don't know who) did apologize, are they actually solving anything?
Yes, they should be given reparations because they suffered a lot...obviously. As we discussed in class today, the Japanese and Jews who suffered for much shorter amounts of time were given reparations in very large amounts.
The question of who should get the reparations, and how much is a bit more difficult to answer. If it were up to me, I'd try to set up some type of new program that would benefit Blacks in urban settings. Especially for children, allowing them to go to nicer schools, have better teachers, access to better technology, and more activities for them after school. Since it's obviously too late to change the past, I think it would be beneficial to use the reparations for future generations. But they could also be used for programs and institutions that already exist. I can't even begin to say how much should be given. Thinking about how much was given to the Japanese, Native Americans and Jews we talked about...I would say that reparations for Blacks should be much, much more than what they received. At the same time, I agree with Donovan, no amount of money is going to change the past or make anyone feel better (or different) about it.
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I am not sure if state apologies would necessarily do much. Who is apologizing? Apologizing could be a first step towards some better solutions, but I feel that the verbal apology would be used as an excuse that the issues of slavery are over, which they are not. The aftereffects are still apparent.
I believe that Blacks should be given reparations. The examples provided above show that Jews, Native Americans, etc were compensated after the injustice done to them. However, those reparations, which included individual monetary amounts, were given closer to the event of what happened. Certainly, money can be given, but since so much time has passed, I do not see the government realistically providing money to Blacks.
Another question is who would be receiving the reparations. If the compensation was monetary, I am not sure who would claim it. All Blacks have been subjected to the aftereffects of slavery including prejudice and negative stereotypes. However, not all Blacks were here during the time of slavery, where their ancestors would receive the money. I also believe that affirmative action programs are not as effective as they are meant to be. The program focuses mainly on the fact that a person is Black, and as a result, would receive preferential treatment. I believe this belittles Blacks. I can send the potential sign that “normally, your abilities may not be good enough, but since you are Black, it is acceptable.” I think a better solution would be to provide true equal opportunity in the form of primary education. This would certainly include improving the neighborhoods and providing ample nutrition since learning and nutrition are certainly correlated. There are definitely other factors involved, but the general gist is to start at the base, namely education.
Therefore, I believe most of the reparations at least monetarily should go towards improving education, particularly in those areas that are dilapidated and such. Many Blacks have been caught in a cycle since slavery. Even after slavery, Blacks did not have the resources that Whites had. This put them at a disadvantage for education, wealth, etc. As much money as it takes to fix the education system, particularly for predominately Black inner city communities that are struggling, should be spent to improve the future potential for these individuals.
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I believe that an apology most certainly should have came long ago. However, I do not see the benefit of an apology today, unless it is backed up with policies to help the African American minority. An apology today would not mean much, considering it would be an apology made by officials who had no control over the events which took place when our nation was first forming.
I do not believe that African Americans should receive reparations in the form of monetary payment. In my opinion, this would set us back decades by causing an even greater divide between black citizens and white citizens who may not approve of the policy. Reparations in the form of governmental policies or programs is a much better idea. Policies designed to help African Americans (and other minorities) be more upwardly mobile in society are a great idea. Perhaps there could be more minority scholarships. There should also be more money allocated to inner city and primarily minority school districts. Policies like this would help society as a whole while improving the quality of life for African Americans.
I'm not really sure how much money would be suitable. I don't see current governmental programs of this sort making any kind of huge impact. Perhaps the budget for these types of programs should be as much as three or four times what it is now. Also, there should be additional money allocated to new and more innovative types of programs.
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I don't think that the state need to apologize at all, it would be nice if they acknowlegded that what happened was wrong and that every effort from now on will be made to prevent that incident and others from happening. An apology is too easy, "We're sorry" and that's it no action attached to it or anything.
As for reparations, I would be highly offfended if I received a letter in the mail that said that the government was going to compensate me monetarily for what my family went through many years ago. I know that money isn't the only form of compensation but it is a popular one. To me that would be saying that I'm sorry here's some money it's finished and over with. I think that the government should in turn construct a program to where they take all under privileged schools and build them up to a level where they have to same opportunities as any other school.
As for how much money should be allocated to reparations that all depends on what they plan to do with it disperse it among individuals or divide it up betweeen schools across the U.S. If it were up to me I would say that they would annually give this money to the schools. I don't know what the amount should be though.
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I think that the government should apologize for slavery. It would been more meaningful if the apology was delivered years ago when slavery was first abolished. It should however be delivered at some point in time.
As far as reparations are concerned again I think they should have been issued years ago along with an apology. If they were to offer a reparation at this point it should be in the form of improving the school systems in urban areas. As well as offer scholarships to allow every African American child the opportunity to attend a college.
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I don’t believe that anyone, especially blacks, should just get over an issue as big as slavery. It is something that everyone is going to have to learn from and change their attitudes and actions accordingly. As for an apology, I don’t think that the states should apologize to blacks unless they feel responsible for any wrongdoings. Apologies are only worth something if they are meant and actions speak louder than words. The only way to truly repay blacks for the pain they felt during slavery is to keep moving forward in the fight for equality. I don’t think that giving reparations to blacks for slavery that is now abolished will do anything if the people giving the money do not change their perspectives. Money isn’t going to make everything of the past go away, and it isn’t going to solve the problem of racism or inequality and that is why I don’t believe reparations are necessary.
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Before reading this article I thought that reparations would be nice of the government, but nothing strictly obligatory.
After reading this article, I am strongly convicted that black deserve a reparation. I don't believe that blacks should be compensated just because Uncle Sam promised them 40 acres and a mule that was never given. Uncle Sam is one of those kinds of uncle's you can't count on, he's always coming short on his promises. Nonetheless, I believe that blacks should be given reparations because it is neccessary. The magnitude of damage that was done to the African people is atrocious. Many lost their friends, family, and most importantly their roots. Until this present day and time, blacks still suffer from the remnants of the past. Africans, however, was not the only group that was discriminated. The Jews were discriminated by the Germans, the Japanese received a fair share of discrimination by the Americans as well as Native Americans. These groups had damages done to them as well. They also lost friends and family, and they were compensated for the damages that were done, despite the fact that the damages were relatively small in comparison to the damages done to Africans. Blacks, however were never given any reparations for the effects of slavery.
I am deeply rooted in believing that the black population would have been much more successful than they are today, had they've been given the appropriate reparation (which would probably have been every last cent of the US budget).
So, this is where I stand, I do believe that reparations would've been a nice thing to start off with. But now, I deem it neccessary because all of the other groups received some kind of reparation except for us, and the damage that was done to us is beyond measures! It is only fair that blacks get compensated.
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I forgot to answer what the reparation should be. Well, I think it would be cool if there were a program that funded young, educated african men and women to mentor every last kid growing up in the ghetto. Most parents of underprivileged children do not know. I've watched too many smart kids(kids who used to settle for nothing but A's and said they wanted to be doctors and lawyers when they grow up) end up on the streets as a result of growing up in the ghetto.
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First of all, I must say this topic in class was quite intense. I understand that this is the reason we are involved in this course to discusss topics where tragic and horrific events have occurred, etc. but to see students become so concerned makes me notice the maturity of our student body.
Futhermore, I would like to see the U.S. as a whole apologize for slavery. I think many U.S. citizens today do NOT take historical moments in time such as slavery, quite seriously. They need to realize that their ancestors went through hard times and recognizing what they put forth to this country is a must.
YES, blacks should receive reparations for slavery. I'm sure it has been mentioned that timing is not all that great because something like this should have been recognized years and years ago , but the fact that we are tackling it now will make an impact. Like we talked about in class if other people in the world have received reparations what would make us question whether or not blacks get reparations?
I do believe giving reparations to adults would be necessary, but I think putting this effort towards their children would be more beneficial. Children should not have to suffer anymore than they already have and we need to recognize that. No more suffering!! I was born in Chicago and I've seen enough to know that others my age and younger should not have to struggle to receive the education and success that I, as a white person have received.
How much money should be allocated for reparations, well you can't put a dollar amount on this, but what people need is what they should get.
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It won't hurt to give an apology, but also at the same time apologies don't always make up for your mistakes. In order to get past the slavery issue, we have to come together as one nation. We have to see a change and not just use words. It isn't so easy.
Reparations would help immensely. We saw how much reparations helped other groups and I think with the right reparations we can make a difference.
I would love to see reparations for slavery. Not only money, but equal opportunities and government programs that support equality throughout the United States. I look at the slums as I pass through and think to myself, why can't government put money towards this? These places are stuck in this poverty because they are denied equality. The biggest reparation should come with schools first because the kids are the future and if we begin there we can get a fresh start. Other reparations should come with time. Schools are the most important though. If we look at East St. Louis we know this to be true. With time and the right attitude we can make a difference
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I think that the states should apologize for slavery, it would be nice, but I am not sure how much it will do, I mean I think it is a little late for an apology, and how convincing to apology would be?
This leads me to the reparations, I do think blacks should be given reparations for slavery, but for the forty acres and a mule, it just is not logical. What land would be given to all the people who were promised it? Would it be nice usable land or would it be some land in the dessert or in the swamp. African Americans definitely deserve some large amount of money, since after all, the jews and the Japanese got reparations of large amounts of money. Also the Native Americans got large amounts of land and money.
The money for reparations also could be put into programs that can help provide equal opportunities for African Americans and help them to excel. The amount of money that should be given should be like a couple hundred million or a billion dollars.
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Should States Apologize for Slavery? Should anyone, any group, or any
entity apologize? Well, I find this a very interesting question. Either answer almost seems like the wrong answer. Yes I think that something should something should be done to compensate for slavery, but I don’t know if an apologize is good enough. If I was connected to slavery then I don’t think that an apology would be sufficient for the pain and suffering.
Should Blacks be given reparations for slavery? I think that reparations should be given, but to who is still fuzzy. During our group discussion in class, a member of my group came up with a really good idea. He proposed to give the money to Africa, not people here in the United States. His argument was to give them the money because we took the people from Africa. If we gave them money they could use that to help repair some of the poverty and technology. Think about how different things could be if we hadn’t taken people from either country. Where would they be? Would they be less poverty-stricken? Would they be a big country in charge of the world? Would they be technologically more advanced then the US? All of these are good questions but I think that it would be a good idea to try and repair the harm that we did on their country. That is the least we could do.
How much money should be allocated for reparations? This question actually stumps me. I don’t know how much I would give for reparations. I would probably have to go with around a billion dollars. If you think about how much money they have given other for reparations a billion dollars doesn’t seem as much as it is. We gave millions of dollars to people who only suffered for a few years to a decade. What possible amount of money would make up for over 250 years of slavery? Plus, the stigma that people from those events.
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This is one of those question that is just so hard to answer because any of the answers given sometime never seem good enough, at least in my eyes.
Should the 50 states apologize for slavery? right now, in this time and place, it would not be such a good idea; it would come off more of an offensive gesture more than a meningful one. It's hard to talk about this subject because I want to say "yes apologize" but when I think about it realistically, I know deep down it would just offend people.
Now about reparations, oh man this is a tough one. It is one of those subjects that many try to avoid but know, in the back of their minds, that something must be done. If there is reparations given, it should not go to people only. I think all the reparations should be given to poor, low-income black schools that are in need of more textbooks, computers, lab supplies, general school supplies..teachers!!! good, great teachers that actually care about their students' well-being and education. And sometimes to me reparations seem to be a bit of a buy off towards black people, its basically saying "hey, sorry about slavery, get over it, here's some money to help your "mourning." "
It would just be better to instead of neglecting all the inner city schools systems, give them the money for their needs.
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These questions could be a little touchy. I honestly believe that sure the country, as a whole, should acknowledge that we made a mistake, I don't believe that apologizing would do anything because most of the people now a days were not DIRECTLY affected by slavery. However, I do think that reparations are in deed in order, but I agree with a fellow classmate that those reparations should be sent to the country of Africa, where those people were taken from. Since Africa is a struggling country it would be of better use there. The big question is how much. A dollar amount can never be placed on such a horrible situation. I think that the country needs to decide on what to do and soon, so that the country can move on united with out the sense that people are still against each other for things in the past. However, my opinion may be skewed as my ancestors/family were not forced to endure such tragedies.
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For the first question, I do not think that the states apologizing would do any good. The apology should have been given when slavery ended 150 years ago. Giving an apology now would almost seem like a slap in the face.
Reparations would be a good idea. I don't necessarily think they should be given to each individual black person in America. However, I think the best thing to do would be for the government to step in and improve the education system in America. I have read half of Savage Inequalites and it really is sad that there are children in the U.S. that don't have the opportunity to get a good highschool education. The government should develop some type of act in order to improve these schools. I think that would be the best way to give reparations.
I think it is hard to put a figure on how much to give. They should just give enough to improve the education systems.
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It is amazing to me that reparations were given to a selected group of people by our government. Prior to this class I was totally unaware that the U.S. Government gave reparations to any group due to wrongdoing.
I believe that an apology is a way for the government to overlook the fact that slavery has many stains in the black community. Should the states apoligize for slavery? I think not. Apologizing would not do much for Blacks in America.
I think apologizing would allow the states to keep a repentant heart yet not manifest true repentance in their deeds towards Blacks. If there is an apology without any goal of economic buildup it would be detrimental.
In this case action would speak so much louder than words. An apology would only be good if it precedes an economic movement by the states to uplift institutional racism.
Should Blacks be given reparations for slavery? I would say not. I believe that discrimination and inequality is a matter of the heart of those who are in economic and political power. I believe giving money or land to many African-Americans would not solve the issue of institutional racism.
There must be a change in the way America thinks toward those of dark color in order for inequality to disappear. I believe the government could start with neighborhoods, schools, job equality, land restoration, and so much more.
These things would bring about an economic vitality that would boost the Black community. Above all, I would request that the states flee from institutional racism. There may be a denial that it exists but everyone knows it is so.
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I dont think that States should apologize because it happened so long ago and what good is an apology going to do for millions of deaths.
This goes along with the first questions. Giving Blacks reperations right now would not solve anything. Blacks now are the lucky ones and are free. We didn't have to go through half of the things that the slaves did years ago.
The only thing i want to know is. You say that we have bamboozled about race and its just a theory. Why havent't this been brought to national attention, because i am so confused now. I have been taught about race my whole life, and now just in a 2 weeks my whole perspective have changed.
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I agree with Andy when it comes to Blacks getting over slavery. There have been so many significant events that have happened in history that people have not gotten over, it has just been placed in the back of their minds. However, I feel that an apology should have been given many years ago, but if the states were willing to apologize, which states would it be and who would the apology go to; relatives of those involved during the times? I wish that it could be that easy; that with one apology people could “get over” significant events. Unfortunately it is not as simple as that and I do feel that an apology and other reparations should be given in some form due to all the suffering that took place. Both Jews and Asians were given monetary reparations, making it an acceptable idea that Blacks should get reparations as well.
It would be difficult to determine how much money would be appropriate for former events. Their reparations would not necessarily have to be money, but if it were to be, the money would obviously have to come from the government. There are also certain programs that allow money to be donated to organizations that would benefit those African – American who are less fortunate and are looking for a way to start over.
If they were to receive reparations it would be difficult to determine who would be receiving them. I don’t think that there are one or two specific people that deserve reparations personally. In retrospect all Blacks deserve to be repaid for the suffering that was caused to their ancestors. In order for the reparations to be felt all around, I think an organization could be set up to help African Americans get a better education, or an organization to repair some of the places in which they live.
I don’t think there is amounts of money that can help anyone “get over” any significant event. I do think that it would be nice and gratefully accepted if reapportions were to be distributed.
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These questions given would be difficult to answer. Formal apologies and monetary compensation for events that happened about 150 years ago would be worthless. The time for that has come and passed. It would have been more appropriate-and in my opinion required-to do so closer to the end of slavery. No amount of money could be given to apologize for the horrible things that happened during slavery. If one was to put a monetary value on it in accordance to the civil system we have in our courts today, the amount would be outrageous; it would easily surpass billions of dollars. Even with a monetary value placed on it, there's the question of who should receive the money. That would involve research of almost every blood-line in America. If one's family heritage dates back to the time of slavery and their relatives were in America during that time, then it is a good possibility that they should receive some of that money. That brings up the question of of whom or what organization would authorized the receiving of this money and who should pay it. It becomes a huge burden, and would end up costing more for tax-payers than it's worth. Like I said before, there is no apology that could be written or monetary amount that could be given that would make slavery and it's effects disappear from the thoughts of anybody.
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I don't really feel that the states apologizing for slavery today would make much of a difference. If I were black, I would feel that an apology now would be really random and pointless.
I believe some sort of reparation should be given. I think reparations in the form of maybe scholarships or other ways to improve education would be a good idea. This way more students will have an equal opportunity for a better life. Also, programs that help children deal with racism may be a good idea. If children are taught at a young age that it's good to be different, there may be less problems today.
It is hard to place an actual amount on money allocated for reparations. Whatever amount needed to improve educational systems would be a good start.
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I don't believe that an apology from the states would be worth much today. In class on Thursday my group talked about how instead of giving reparations to the black community the government should work on making schools in areas with a lot of poverty more equal to other schools in the country. I think this is the best thing to do and is way better than an apology because anybody can lie and say they are sorry.
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Although true compensation can never be given for the racist acts and treatment that African Americans have been subjected to, I believe a formal apology and acknowledgement is still in order. Today’s government may not be committing acts to degrade African Americans, however I feel that our government and corporate America is still reaping the benefits of our history’s crimes while blacks still suffer the consequences. Those who feel that they are without responsibility need to reassess their thinking!!!! In class many students expressed that they do not think it would be fair to ask for an apology because today’s leaders and citizens didn’t have anything to do with “it”. However, the aftermath of “it” has provided the backbone for an incredible disparity of wealth among majority and minority peoples in the US. To ignore that fact and claim no part in the events that have transpired would be an insult to African Americans and show a lack of responsibility for the progress of our society.
The fact that other ethnic groups have received forms of reparations while blacks have seemingly been pushed to the side is even more troubling. What I did find interesting is that in the instance of blacks and slavery, reparations are often presented as an out of the question solution. However, it is clear based on events concerning the Holocaust and acts against Japanese citizens, that an effective effort is quite plausible.
Two of the most problematic consequences of slavery are the lack of proper education in many black communities and the unequal distribution of wealth between blacks and whites. For that reason I think that any form of reparations should address these issues. Funding African Americans education and promoting ways to increase ownership and generate wealth would be great goals for any kind of repayment. If government funding programs could provide aid in these areas I think it would be a start.
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I don't think African Americans should ever "get over" their history of being enslaved. It's a wrongful deed that has been imprinted on their history and will forever be apart of their heritage.
I don't think there will ever be enough to compensate for the emotional, psychological scarring that the act of slavery did to those enslaved or to those today who are learning about what happened to their people years ago. As previously stated earlier in class, an apology won't do much as compensation but I do believe it would be a start. It's atleast a step in the right direction. It may not mean much to anyone, nor change anything but it is alteast a formal acknowledgment that slavery did happen and was a very wrongful act. I think maybe if I were African American, I would feel somewhat better if slavery was formally acknowledged and apologized for even if it didn't change anything.
I think it would be great if states apologized individually, but I also realize that not all states were involved directly in slavery. A formal apology from the government would probably be the best option.
As for monetary compensation, my group during class discussed how money should be given to school systems (especially inner-city schools or schools that are majority African Americans) to go toward Black History programs or even just educational purposes in general.
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i would say that like many have said that its probably past time for any type of appology. Even though so much time has gone by, there should be some type of national recognition given (a day in name of the end of slavery)
but to me what makes the least amount of sense is that everyone else had appologies, but no one in the government wants to sincerly acknowledge the wrong doing to blacks ?
im not sure if i completely agree with reperations given at this point in time, but i could see government funded grants and other educational benefits to be given to those who wish to attend a college or university. in this case i do not think an ammount could or should be set on what would be given.
this is something that has not directly effected me so its hard for me to determine what would benefit someone who has been effected by slavery.
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I believe that there is not a yes or no answer to this question. While reparations for African Americans seems fair in the contexts of history, the Jews getting some from the Germans and the Japanese Americans receiving some from the U.S., the situation is unfortunately different. The timeliness of the fore-mentioned situations of the Jews and the Japanese-Americans, where those in immediate need or those directly involved were given compensation, is quite different from that of the African-American situation because the U.S. has held out so long that those people who were directly involved are no longer the majority. Thus, who should receive the reparations and who, if anyone, should not.
My personal belief is that the U.S.'s lack of compensation in the past has put the African-American peoples at a social and economical disadvantage (due to poor living environments and underfunded academic institutions). Thus, I feel that reparations should be given out in forms of community enhancing funds and programs. By directly giving out money to individuals the process would be nearly impossible to keep fair. By this I mean that determining the criteria for who receives the reparations and who does not would create more harm than good. However, by placing money into community building programs, everyone would benefit. New schools, transportation systems, more teachers, clean parks, affordable entertainment and creation of new jobs are just some of the ways to promote and aid in success in African-American communities. The government should be spending more money on homeland DEVELOPMENT than war, so I would say that funding for this should be in the trillions.
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I don't believe that too much emphasis is put on it because of the impact slavery had on American and Blacks. Slavery is something that Blacks will probably never get over even though us living now were not physically involved in slavery, we still have a place in our hearts for those of our race who did actually go through it.
I don't think that money would be the correct reparation, because how would they determine who gets the money? But, I think it's about time that Blacks receive more opportunities and no longer stereotyped as being from the inner city. More opportunities leads to more successful Blacks, and more Blacks in the suburbs.
I think it is funny how they would give the Japanese and Canadians reparations but not that Blacks. But both situations happened at different points in history. I guess the question to be asked is if slavery was more recent, like during World War I and II, would Blacks have received some type of reparations.
I don't believe the Jews have totally overcome the holocaust, because there are plenty of Jews who still hold a tight grudge with Germany. Thats just how it is, sometimes you can forgive someone, but that event will still be in your heart. Slavery is will always be on the minds of Blacks, no matter how much time passes.
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I think that everything starts with an apology, but there needs to be more than just a verbal apology. Some action needs to take place to show that they are truly sorry and are willing to help right their wrong. I don’t think that the states should be apologizing for slavery, it should be the government. The government had the power to stop slavery and chose to keep quiet and enjoy the economic success of the country.
I think that blacks should be given reparations, not to certain people, but to things like education and health care. Giving money to public schools, which is where most black children attend school, could help re-educate black people. Because slavery was built on breaking down the race, educating children that things can change, would help improve their situation. Health care would also be beneficial because many black people cannot afford it. Many people wonder why people in black communities are always sick and need medical care, if they had the resources necessary to improve their health, they could also help in re-educating their children and grandchildren.
I’m not sure how much money should be allocated, but money is not the only thing needed. Many things need to change with the educational system as a whole. For example, teaching everything that happened during slavery, not just the parts that made it seem okay.
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