Why Reparations Part I
By
Professor Zaki Amir
Damage done to anyone anywhere in the world is a reason for them to seek redress, is it not? Reparations are the topic of this article and it begins not with asking but telling or sharing information on its history.
When Britain abolished slavery in 1833, it paid millions in reparations, to over 47,000 British Citizen who enslaved our African ancestors as compensation for their financial losses.
Even those of Sweden, Denmark and much of South America received remuneration for the loss of their slaves. The same holds true in the United States of America where those that were slave owners received multiple reparations payments.
In 1862 in the District of Columbia enslavement ended with an order from Abraham Lincoln. Slaveholders were paid $300 per slave and each slave that agreed to leave the country to never return was paid $100 dollars; but for those of our ancestors who helped build America, nothing.
The Civil War supposedly fought to free our ancestors that brought about the Emancipation Proclamation was all but rescinded by Andrew Johnson who made “Confederate resettlement” possible enabling whites to recover land, including some they never owned in the first place. Federal money in the South after the Civil War built Schools and roads and restored the railroads.
Those funds earmarked for “Freedmen” that went to serve white institutions and business interests are reparations too. The tax codes was one way to inequitably support white people, as were subsidies for farmers, small business loans, education loans, grants, housing, and employment policies.
FHA and VA loans went exclusively to white people for decades until the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Whites have received reparations since America was founded.
Afrodescendants were victims of the foulest deaths slave masters could imagine, starting with being enslaved which caused “Civil Death” and having to labor from sun up to sundown for a period of 400 years.
Our ancestors were murdered for standing up for “Human Rights” guaranteed in the U. S. Constitution. Afrodescendant women raped at will by their slave masters or any white citizen with impunity and a court conviction, out of the question.
Most egregious is the case of Haiti, who won her freedom from France in 1804 but was undermined by the world’s white nations, including America and extorted by France to pay 150 million francs which was more than ten times Haiti’s annual revenue.
Haiti paid France the equivalent of $21 billion though most of the loan was forgiven in 2010. She remains the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Evanston, Illinois followed through on its proposal for reparations for its Afrodescendant citizens with payments tied to home ownership. California, New York and most recently Georgia and Kansas City began reparations studies.
Understanding reparations is quite easy. Afrodescendants have been in America and have not benefitted like other ethnic groups. We have been silent, but not anymore. We have a case for “Reparations.”
***** Research links*****
1. The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates - The Atlantic
2. Could San Francisco’s apology to Black residents lead to reparations? (usatoday.com)
3. Maryland considering reparations bill that would raise taxes for 'reinvestment' fund (msn.com)
4. California introduces first-in-nation slavery reparations package - POLITICO
5. Where Reparations Stand in the U.S. - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
6. NY governor chooses Syracuse leader to examine slavery reparations: ‘This is long overdue’ (msn.com)
7. Home (illinois.gov) State of Illinois African Descent – Citizens Reparations Commission
8. Evanston, Illinois, becomes first U.S. city to pay reparations to Black residents (nbcnews.com)
9. Office of African-American Affairs in Chicago (chicagoreparations.org)
10. WHY AMERICAN BLACKS DESERVE REPARATIONS – Chicago Tribune
11. Activists descend on Atlanta warning of 'serious consequences' if lawmakers don't back $80 BILLION reparations push, despite cash crunch in Georgia's hospital and prison systems (msn.com)
**** Announcements***
The Muhammad Speaks Newspaper is back physically and online as muhammadspeaksnews.com and can be viewed on social media platforms like You Tube and X formerly known as Twitter.
April 28th the annual commemoration of Black Holocaust Remembrance Day will take place in Washington, D.C. with the Conductor of the Reparations Movement Malik Shabazz giving the Keynote Address: The Black Holocaust Yesterday Today and Tomorrow
– Call 202- 505-1382 or go to X formerly Twitter @ Muhammad Speaks – for more information
National Reparations Convention will take place in Washington D.C. on May 17, 18 & 19 at Lincoln United Church (Shaw Community Center) 1701 11th st. Washington D. C. And don’t forget to text “Reparations” to 877-506-2184
Afrodescendants: Muhammad Speaks, online or in print is yours show your support through paper purchases and contributions to help Mr. Muhammad’s words reach us.