rae-keba harmon's List: Reparations

Introduction

“And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.” This was a scripture from Exodus 3:21-22 that shows God giving reparations to the Jews for their years of mistreatment and slavery by the Egyptians. Now before I go any further, I want to ask you, do you believe reparations are due to the descendents of the African slaves for their pain and suffering caused from slavery? I pose this question to you now so it can marinate in you mind while I present my reasons of why it is due, the possible solutions, and the fight towards reparations. So with and open mind truly listen to the information that is being placed before you and then answer the question.

Definition of Reparations http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861700508/reparation.html\n\n\n\n\n1.

amends: compensation for a wrong, or something that is done to achieve this\n\n2. repair: restoration of something to good condition, or the process of doing this ( formal )\nReparations is meant to repair damaged caused to the victim(s). For African-Americans it would be reparations for things taken and things promised. It will start the end of the cycle of abuse that has gone on till present.

Slavery, Abolition, and Emancipation http://www.brycchancarey.com/slavery/index.htm

This website gives a time-line going back to 1441 when the European slave trade was started in Africa. These Africans were put to work in the newly developed sugar plantations in the Portuguese island of Madeira. Africans were used as slaves in various countries such as Spain, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Germany. These slaves helped to expand the trade of sugar by cultivated these plantations. It wasn't until the early 1600's that the Europeans began the slave trade in the United States.

This time-line shows how Africans have been used to expand other countries and were never looked at as humans or better yet equals. It's funny how blacks are always labeled as lazy, but it's been other races that have used us to do their work. From nursing their babies to growing crops and we are the lazy race!

The Emancipation Proclamation http://www.sonofthesouth.net/slavery/emancipation-proclamation.htm

The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves from their bondage when it was finally acted upon in 1867. "That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free ; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom." This quote talks about the physically bondage of a person not the mentally oppression that still plagues the black race in this day and age.

An Outline of the Reconstruction Era http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/122/recon/reconframe.html

This website gives a account of what happened after slavery was abolished in 1865. During what was called the Reconstruction Era the freed slaves were stopped from gaining employment, land, and respect. Whites were afraid of a rebellion so they used Jim Crow laws and lynching, to name a few tactics, to keep the ex-slaves in line. This why the KKK was formed to help in keeping the "Negros" in check so they wouldn't defile their precious women and children. Although, it was fine for "Masa" to go into the slave quarters and rape the women and children whenever his penis moved him.

This Era was suppose to be beneficial tot he slaves and allow them to recover from the harm caused to them. However, this time period was just has horrible as slavery.

The Lynching Calendar http://www.autopsis.org/foot/lynch.html\n\n\n

I found this site from a link on Afrocentric.info while looking through some of it's articles. This calendar represents the horror blacks went through from 1865-1986. It was only 45yrs ago , that we know of, that lynching was no longer being used to control and punish blacks for ridiculous offenses. It kills me to see a list of people killed over a 100yr period, however, 6,000 is only the number of recorded lynches.

Whites mostly used this tactic to control the black males because white men were very intimidated by them. Whites no thought for life when it came to African-Americans since they choose to kill not only men but women and children too.

Racial Inequality Still Going Strong in U.S. http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=bc8c6994f8bbccf16cf0a83663f3a445

This short article packs a powerful punch. It gets right to the point, to start talking about racial inequality in schools, employment, and much more. It gives strong examples such as..."How Sonoma State University in California (SSU) has recently achieved the status of having the whitest and likely the richest student population of any public university in the State of California.
Whites often say racism is in the past, and we need not think about it today. Yet, inequality stares at us daily from the barrios, ghettos and behind prisons walls. "

Reparations: Pro & Con "Brophy, Alfred L. (Author) Pages: 306 Publisher: Oxford University Press, Incorporated Released: 2006 " Retrieved March 19, 2010\nhttp://www.diigo.com/user/raveen?domain=site.ebrary.com.ezp.mc.maricopa.edu\n\nI

This is a well written book that gives a thorough look at reparations and the ways to asses the damages done and still effecting the African-American race. The Author talks about Truth Commissions and Apologies being the first steps in rectifying things. It's not surprising that in 2010 the government has not formally apologized for slavery and oppression that has be handed to the black race constantly from basically the whole United States. This is said because not only did individual states make up their own laws against blacks, but so did the Federal Government. That is why Truth Commissions should be formed to research the facts behind slavery, the Reconstruction Era, Civil Rights Movement, and the racial inequality that is still happening today. With the facts finally in the for front the burden of proof will be a positive for reparations.

History of Reparations Payments http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~kmporter/historyreparations.htm

This chart shows a brief history of reparation payments given to other races. How is it the these races can acquire an apology, respect, and money for the harm caused to them and the blacks can not get so much as a acknowledgment of slavery.

Conclusion

I believe that African-Americans are still victimized, in 2010, mentally and physically. It is evident physically through the black inmate population in prisons and jails; to which I am constantly reminded when reading the textbooks in my AJS classes. Nonetheless, this re-victimization rears it’s ugly head mentally on a daily basis in a black persons life whether it is recognizable or not. In addition to this, African – Americans are also racially paranoid. I will admit that I have allowed myself, at times, to be taken over by this paranoia and assume the worse from someone outside of my race. I find myself going into this state of mind to protect myself from being mentally slapped. And I must add, that I do believe that racial paranoia is reverse racial profiling. However, this profile is based on history and a black person life experiences not stereotyping or good ole fashion racism. Therefore, I believe a form a reparations is due the African-American race because we are continually trying to swim in quick sand of racism, inequality, and oppression daily. "“Supporters of reparations speak of the plunder and destructions of the African continent and of slavery itself, where more than 250 years of uncompensated black labor helped build America. Slavery has contemporary psychic and physical victims, the argument runs, in black poverty, violence, and the existence of two separate and unequal societies. Underneath and behind these are black despair and hopelessness, the worst heritage of slavery and discrimination.”(Slavery Reparations, 2004)