Should There Be Reparations For African Americans?
Reparations – What They Are?

Reparations for African Americans have been a debate for long now. Reparation deals with the issue of making an attempt to resolve the state of affairs where there is impairment to the life of an individual or a community due to injustice in the past. Classically, the disposition of this discrimination refers to a situation where in certain institution or individual has benefited unfairly from the distressed party by taking something; it could be anything like resources or their life, the life of their ancestors or their loved ones, or by taking work from them without paying them adequately or something of such kind. Reparations is an attempt made in order to look at problems of such people and help them have a status just like a common citizen by compensating them in monetary as well as non monetary ways for the injustice inflicted upon them.

The subject of reparations to African Americans, as mentioned earlier, is a disputed topic and is much in news. Let’s have a look at what the African Americans have been facing, so to have a clear view of whether the dispute is really necessary or there is a crystal clear case favoring reparations available?

History Speaks For Itself
History speaks for itself- Let’s see how! Massive prejudice has been carried out, affecting African Americans dating back to 1619, when 20 captive Africans had been brought to Virginia by the Dutch traders. This history continues all the way till today, when still roots of racism- concealed and blatant exist in the life of Africans at America. The depredation from slavery borne by the African Americans is presently alive and very much extant even now in America. There is a description about reparations, which appeared in African-American Voice of Decatur Illinois stating that Americans owe a debt to the blacks for centuries of incarcerated and unpaid labor, which has been used for building the early economy of America. Not only that, they also have a debt owed for the wage discrimination as well as the patterns of employment that this prejudiced community has been subject to since liberation.

Restitution is inevitable owing to the gargantuan riches that were generated- indirectly or directly by unpaid obligatory labor of the enslaved Africans. These riches have not been received by the blacks, but by whites, who have passed this affluence down to their coming generations. On the other hand, Africans were hardly left with anything, which they could pass on to their descendants except the discriminatory way of passing their lives. With the use of money that has its root in the labor of the enslaved Africans, several European Americans have been able to give a good education to their children, provide them with the required resources for a prosperous life, while African Americans have been often left with the only option of being subject to inferior education or no education at all, nor do they have any means or resources to pull themselves up in life.

The worst part was the Chattel Slavery which prevailed where people of African countries were enslaved for their lifetime and had to undergo pains like not being able to marry by law, not getting education, harm by Americans where the black were trampled to fatality, raped, and enforced to live like cattle, treatment of children as merchandise to be sold. Black people had to do away with their original names, traditions, religious values as well as the language. There were certain laws that presided over the treatment which was to be given to these people, but were seldom practiced. There was no security even for a person who managed to escape free as there was an incessant jeopardy of being abducted or detained and caged again.

The Debate on Reparations
In this debate of reparation, the foremost thing to understand and explain is the injury minted out to the Africans in United States for generations and the repercussions faced by the descendants thereafter. Lack of logical and meaningful explanation will only lead to discussions without any conclusion. The injury done to the Africans is usually classified as “slave trade”. But, this terminology hides the high degree of violence and inhumanity afflicted towards them. In today’s time, such “trade” could well be termed as holocaust. Holocaust is not just mass slaughter but it is an attempt to destroy life, culture and human possibility. By removing them forcefully and brutally from their culture, the whites have snatched their dignity and respect which is the right of every human being.

When we read all this- the only thought that hits the mind is that something needs to be done to stop all this. Here we agree that the discrimination to African Americans is not as high as it was, but even today the treatment given to them is not humanitarian. Moreover, the blacks have been facing the consequences of what was done to their ancestors, even today. What we are intending to talk about is, how can a level field be created to do away with the bequest of enslavement which has its effects even today on the lives of the people. The question is how to have justice for the group of people, who have been penalized since centuries for being who they are? Here, we are thinking of making up for something that has happened in the past.

The present day America with all its riches and power was created directly or indirectly by the black slaves brought forcefully to the country. The riches created by this forced labor did not go to the blacks but to the whites. This wealth was passed from one generation to the other whereas the Africans had barely enough to survive in one lifetime. With this money the whites have been able to create a secure and stable life for themselves and their future generations. They are able to avail the best education and get a head start on a successful life. But this is not the case with the Africans. Due to the expensive education system, the children of the African American are not able to receive the same quality of education.

It’s unjust to think that only slave owners reaped the financial rewards of slavery, almost all white American citizens gained in some way or the other. It is similar to what is happening in today’s world. Except for the manufacturing companies, none of us engage in sweatshop labor but each time we buy a garment, we are benefited by the exploitation.

Reparations along with apology are a way out. With these well-documented revulsions of the enslavement, there is a lot of controversy about the question whether African Americans should receive reparations and if yes, how they should be paid and who exactly is allowed to receive these reparations. Today, a lot is been heard even against the idea of reparations. Many disputes and questions recurrently drawn to have an opposition to it can be listed below:

Why does a need arise for American taxpayers, who have never been a part of enslavement of blacks, shell out for the peccadillo of their predecessors, whom they don't even know? And why should those Americans even be considered in this whole idea, whose forebears arrived to the country much later after the end of slavery? How can a price tag be put on the centuries of inhumanity that was legal? How can one have a price tag to sufferings and would that money make good for the pains that the ancestors have already borne? How is to be ascertained who's a descendant and who is not?

However, in the face of each question put forth, there is one basic idea i.e. it is too late for Americans to take any step to make good any loss that has occurred to the hearts and souls of African American citizens and their ancestors. But, the notion is wrong. Reparation is not just about giving an end to the bitter commemoration of injustice by slavery but it is also about understanding how the blacks have been at a disadvantage throughout, till today. It is about opening the eyes towards the fact that the actions of past have affected the lives of the Africans so much that they are bearing the consequences of those actions till now. The crime done then was in such monstrous proportions that restitution is required. And to use an old cliché, “It is never too late to mend”, as this is for a good and noble cause where the benefits far outweigh the negatives that can come.

Legalities for Reparations
As per human rights law and policy, all victims of inhumanity and cruelty have the right to claim and receive reparations from the perpetuators of the odious crime. Reparation does not only mean some kind of monetary compensation but also a recognition and acceptance of the wrong done in the past and an assurance to end such inhuman act and to return the dignity, which is a right of every human. In this case, the actual victims of the “slave trade” are no more, but that does not mean that the right to reparation is destroyed with them. The claim can be pursued by the descendants of the victim. Although this being the case, it is observed that with the passage of time the citizens of the country feel less obliged to make amends thinking that the actual victims are no more there and also that, it was not them who inflicted those sufferings on the Africans.

One strong argument for reparation is not just several centuries of slavery of the Africans, but also the inequality and the injustice faced by them due to the laws, codes and the policies of the United States government. Moreover, the United States government did nothing to resist or stop the continuity of the illegal regulations. In the present times, the discrimination and prejudice against the African Americans is not a thing of the past, but it exists even now. Most whites still view African Americans as the uneducated, criminal minded individuals on a look out for easy money. Under such circumstances, reparations would definitely be a step towards better life and opportunity to those who are neglected still.

Massive acts of inhumanity are seen repeatedly in the human history. But in most instances the country involved in inflicting pain had to pay for its brutal acts. Some examples are the reparation aid given to the Israel by the Jews, Americans to the Japanese and so on.

There have been precedents for the payment to Black Americans for past legal and ethical wrong doings. There has been an apology by Clinton in 1997 along with a payment of $10 million by the US government to the families of black survivors who were persecuted in 1930s by the U.S. Public Health Service due to the syphilis experiment.  In 1994, there has been agreement for payment by Florida legislature to the relatives and survivors of people who became victims of a white rabble that caused harm to lives and property in 1923 to the all- black town of Rosewood. The massacre was silently disregarded by public officials and law implementing officers. The Oklahoma state legislature is presently taking consideration of the reparations to the people who survived in 1921 from the destruction caused in the black neighborhoods in Tulsa by white multitude
These examples make the case for Reparations much stronger.

The Only Way Out
Any form of discrimination, towards a community or person should be regretted. It can of course not be changed but can definitely be smoothed over. It is visible that the treatment given to the blacks was wrong and must be now looked at with sincerity and honesty. This is the only way by which, an end can be put to the atrocious and menacing racism entrenched in the country, which continues to afflict even now in the 21st century.

An apology is definitely required for the unjust behavior so as to cleanse the past actions. Nonetheless, it is to be supplemented with compensation (reparations), since in its absence the words of regret would seem to be hollow. It is a general human behavior that whenever we regret any wrong act of ours, we try to do whatever is possible to darn the damage caused due to it and that goes beyond just apologies. For the harm done to African Americans, any confession or apology devoid of the keenness to make restitution is a phony.

This is not just an acknowledgement of the immense anguish endured by the blacks in terms of economic inequality and bas but also a compensation for the many resources and benefits foregone by blacks for generations together. There have been instances of children who had been denied education and were robbed of the beautiful days of their childhood and were compelled to work in mines and industrial units with pay as less as nothing, while the owners who were Americans amassed affluence. Hence, this is a manner in which society can give back the wealth gathered by wrong means to its real owners.

An action needs to be taken to repair the unfairness and anything done would anyway be inadequate when one matches it with the massive horrors committed. However, reparations happen to be a vital step in a correct direction.

Reparations – How Are They Justified & What Are the Effects
There have been several compelling reasons to see why reparations should be there for African Americans. Now we will have a step by step approach as to why the reparations happens to be a justified way of bridging the gap between the races in the country and what good can they do?

However, since any favorable program for reparations should happen aiming at betterment for African Americans should occur with the aim of positive improvement and healing for the deprived members of the society, responsibility should not come to private individuals or groups towards any payments that form a part of reparations. In this manner, there is a built in solution to the enormous seeds of bitterness of racism spread in the American society. This is an inter-community solution that helps to resolve the bleak and discordant arguments including censure, culpability and accountability. With this contemporary barricade eliminated, the process of reparations can carry on in a guilt-free manner of solemn interest resulting into improvement and repair with the righteous inclusion of Black Americans in society.

The facts of the lives of African Americans even today include the dispossession in the areas of remuneration, education, dwelling, assets, security, and cultural as well as social status. In this manner, the existing generations are though not bearing unsympathetic slavery, but still are captured in its callous aftermath. The injuries inflicted on their ancestors survive in the presence of poverty.

Profits need to be repaid to the real owners. Numerous organizations have gathered riches from slavery. There was a bill passed by the California state legislature according to which, insurance companies were required to have a disclosure of the information about the policies that have been written for insuring slaves. This brings out the acknowledgment that profits have been made by insurance companies letting the slaves being insured as property. Such culprits do not include only insurance companies. Apart from them, investment houses, shipping companies, banks, and other businesses also

Thus, there is a need to educate African Americans to have awareness about the legitimacy and justification of their own assertion and claim to reparations.

Reparation Monies – What Should Be The Way Of Distribution?
Here, we are not trying to exclude the option of reparations directly through check, but the point is that, this means would not be the most effective manner of distribution. What we are really aiming at is not just a compensation of the pains borne but also an improvement in the miserable lifestyle that African Americans are facing today. Reparations are not just about this, it is much more. It also aims at clearing off the distance that has come in the two races by a justified manner. One effective way is to form an unbiased panel which comprises of historian, sociologist, economist, activists. This panel can closely look into how colonial rule has affected an entire race of humanity. Moreover, United States can improve its investment in education, housing, health care for the black population.

Reparations program should have a concentration towards enhancement of the infrastructure for education, nutrition, amenities, housing, commerce and jobs which benefit African Americans to rise and move ahead in the competition. It should be a program that aids in building such a structure that allows and assists in becoming a support in the society – Socially, politically and morally. It should be an endeavor to undo the injured legacy. One needs to make sure that a child that comes from an African American family is treated at par with that of European American family in terms of treatment, quality of education as well as in terms of the opportunity that comes up. Moreover, African Americans need to be a part of each revolution- be it communication revolution or technology revolution.

Reparation is possible by identifying the institutions that have been profited by slavery. These institutions can be made accountable about the profits earned in all those years which can be repaid now with interest for better education and training for the future generation of the black community. One important aspect to be considered is that reparation in terms of monetary benefit shouldn’t be for all blacks. There are many successful African Americans too. Instead of giving the money to each individual, a trust fund can be established which allocates funds to the needy for better education, training, housing, AIDS prevention and education and much more.

One of the ways of reparation is that the United States government grants a full apology to all African American fro the suffering, distress, indignity caused by the hatred and discrimination. Among the various suggested ways of reparation, one also comes across repatriation, i.e. send back the African Americans back to Africa, where they would be given land, education, job, in short a good life which is absent in US. But the question is, can one go back in time? Most African Americans have now accepted United States as their homeland. They have been here since the times of their forefathers so how can one expect them to go back and start all over again. Isn’t it possible to have a life of dignity and respect in their home country?

Reparations need to be a welfare program that helps alleviation of poverty. It should be directed towards transfer of wealth to those who are poor and have borne the sufferings for long now. We need to build a solid plan that removes the disparities in various aspects of lives of African Americans from the rest of the society. Care is to be taken of concentrating on health and nutrition and building a healthy education system for them which supports even college education. Building hospitals, schools and colleges should essentially be a part of the reparations program.

The above discussion clearly lines out the possible designs of the reparations program and gives the food for thought. But, it is the effective implementation that matters all the more.

The Impact of Reparations
This is again a very controversial issue. Questions have been coming up from all sides, whether reparations can do any good to the sufferings that have happened in the past. But, one thing to be noted here is that, when this question is asked, people keep only money in mind. However, actually reparations do not just include giving away the claims of African Americans to them to aid their suffering. Rather, they include a series of activities carried out to make good a loss that has occurred to this community for centuries i.e. the loss of deprivation. Reparations are not just claimed as compensation to the pains undergone, but as a way to heal that suffering. Moreover, the retaliation comes with an argument that American Taxpayers will have to bear the burden though some of them may not be directly involved in the dark history of African Americans. But, as clarified earlier, it is not the responsibility of individual parties but that of the government of United States. A country that has benefited for a long time from the process owes a debt to the African Americans which it should repay now.

With a clear justified case and taking the right approach of reparations, it has no point of causing any harm to anyone. What flows from reparations is only positive feeling, improvement in living standards, betterment in facilities, a fair treatment in the society. This would definitely make a smooth path helping in the removal of the acrimony and resentment which is rampant in the air of America today.

Conclusion

Reparations happen to be for a definite good cause while the controversy arises as it is viewed as a means of claiming money from the government on the false grounds and sympathy arousing stories of past sufferings. But, this is not the case. There is a very strong case for reparations explained above which clarifies that it is not out of greed for money that reparations are been sought, but it is the need that has forced it. Not only is it the need, but it is also the right of the African Americans. This is not just a compensation for suffering but also the repayment of the incomes that the US government has had since centuries, to its real owners.