"TO BE SOLD"
ARTIST: Larry Richardson
There is room for rational disagreement on several sides of the broad issue of "reparations for slavery". I realize that mentioning the term prompts kneejerk responses in some black folks who may not have seriously considered all the parameters of implementing such a policy - and in some white folks who, likewise, have little interest in a discussion that seems to blame them for something in which they (and, in many cases, their ancestors) had no direct participation. A typical defensive exclamation from an American Caucasian when the subject of reparations for slavery is raised is, "Here we go again. The "poverty pimps", Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, will be jumpin' on the reparations money train tryin' to suck money from hard workin' white people who had nothin' to do with slavery."
First off - I would admonish my Caucasian brothers - if the only black spokespeople you are familiar with are Jesse & Al - no wonder you haven't a clue about the subject!It isn't helpful to come into the discussion, initially, at the point when someone is making a case for reparations for people whose ancestors were kidnapped from Africa, bought, sold, traded and forced to labor for the principals in the White Establishment of the time - the Planter Class. It is helpful to have read objective historical accounts and understood how the slave-holding system continues to impact the dynamics of equality of opportunity, including disparity of income and political power between African-American descendants of slaves and white Americans, regardless of their beginnings in this country.
Yes, black critics have written reams about shortcomings and bad choices within the black community and the black family that contribute to a culture of failure that perpetuates itself from generation to generation. However, I think it is too convenient for white folks to grasp at comments of black folks who are addressing black folks and chime in with, "Yeah, what he said!" The economic disparity between African Americans and Caucasian Americans is first and foremost a legacy of slavery and Jim Crow laws.
How many times have we heard the second or third generation descendant of an immigrant relate the story of his ancestor who was called names, denied work or housing, or physically abused? The point of the story is often brought home almost as a challenge to the black underclass - "My grandfather couldn't read or write, but he worked his ass off and made sure his kids and grandkids stayed in school and made somethin' of themselves..." The tale often expands to a litany of examples of college degrees, good jobs and home ownership among his relatives. The story teller may really believe the origins of his family's experience in poverty and outsider-status in America mirror the African American experience. The tangible socio-cultural-economic advantage of white folks (and, in recent years, folks of non-African origins) in America is left out of the "up-from-bootstraps" scenario woven by the story teller. He doesn't recognize the advantage he enjoys because solely because his ancestors, however desperate and disadvantaged, were never bought and sold as the property of others.
Among the different demographic groups in America, the African-American experience is unique. While new (Caucasian and Asian) immigrants may have faced discrimination based on race, ethnicity or national origin, such experiences have been temporary and tend to be more of a social thing. Calling a person a "chink", a "mick", "hunky", a "pollack", or a "spick" - while hurtful - does not constitute an impediment against their progress - whereas, the effects of slavery and Jim Crow laws continue to impede the progress of African Americans as a group.
So, what about reparations? The longer we postpone engaging in a national rational discussion of slavery and its effects, the promise of Reconstruction, the retrenchment to apartheid, and the pervasive damage to the national psyche, the wider the chasm between those who understand and those who don't, yet, will grow. I favor a national apology for slavery and a concerted, effective strategy for empowering descendants of slaves with early education through advanced education along with job training and economic assistance for home ownership and entrepreneurial endeavors to attain equality of opportunity with white Americans.
In my opinion - the greatest tool for reparation of the legacy of inequity between the races in this country has been and continues to be successful affirmative action initiatives, both private and government-sponsored. Acknowledgement of the real implications of the history of slave-holding toward continuing privileged status for whites in America would be the logical place to start this discussion...
LEGACY OF SLAVERY - JIM CROW LAWS:
AFRICAN AMERICANS PAYING TO CAST THEIR VOTES POST - RECONSTRUCTION
