@bleachbred For the last three decades, the issue of reparations has ebbed and flowed in the American psyche. The subject began to gain stem in the early 1990s during the Clinton administration when many activists believed that Clinton’s centrist/liberal politics lent itself to a political climate that was conducive to, at the very least, exploring such a possibility.
Like any issue that in America that involves race, the issue immediately garnered passionate supporters and equally ardent detractors. Many of these supporters and critics drew lines in the sand and quickly retreated to ideological corners. The public was saturated with the predictable “reparations would be good because…” Reparations would be problematic and unjust due to the fact that…. “ and so on.
The truth was that each side was so busy in trying to aggressively maneuver and stealthily outwit one another that the occasional thoughtful and reflective arguments that sporadically emerged from the blasting fireworks and snarky rhetoric was quickly dismissed as “idealistic but impractical.” This was a less brutal way of saying to your opponents that you made some good points, but I still disagree with you.
Reparations briefly resurfaced during the Obama Presidency. Not surprisingly, there were more than a few people who thought, perhaps condescendingly and naively given the fact that a Black man was finally commander-in-chief that the issue would be given ample support. However, such optimism rapidly faded as Obama made it clear of his opposition to reparations Such a blatant rejection by the former president caused a degree of demoralization among progressive activists and the subject was quickly relegated to the back burner of priorities and replaced by more largely young, White liberal educated ,millennial identified causes such as occupy wall street, environmental issues, LGBTQ rights etc….
Ta-Nehisi Coate’s seminal article The Case for Reparations, that appeared in the June 2014 issue of The Atlantic Monthly https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/ once again, rebounded the issue front and center into the public sphere.. While there were a few new voices and additional arguments made. Most of the rhetoric was merely more rehashed commentary from earlier decades. Virtually no fresh or provocative messages were to be heard. After little more than a year, the issue, once again, went underground. It was business as usual.
Now, as another presidential election approaches, the topic has regained traction among many democratic candidates A number of 2020 hopefuls have avidly embraced the subject with their own ideas of how such a policy would be implemented as they call for discussions on the matter. Yes they have baby!
While some Black people and White progressives turn a hopeful ear to such messages, there are those of us (include me in this category) who are less than enthusiastic about what we are hearing. We are what some would refer to as the cynics. Yes, we are the racially conscientious men and women who sigh and give the side eye. After so many promising starts routinely followed by abrupt and su Cynicism aside, I, like many others, genuinely want to see redden stops, we cannot help but echo “oh Lord, here we go again, how long will it last this time? For the downright cynical, the blatantly ambiguous word “whatever” will suffice!parations given full, serious attention and deep consideration and not for just at various junctures and disingenuous politicians to exploit for opportunistic purposes. The subject is too crucial to be mishandles and manipulated. Sad to say, up until now this has been the case.
To all those who argue that the issue needs to be debated, I say WHAT IS THERE TO DEBATE?! The question as to whether people of African descent past or present deserve to be compensated for past and present injustices should not “up for discussion!” We already know the answer! It is a RESOUNDING yes!
This nation has financially awarded various groups such as Japanese Americans, Holocaust survivors, and other groups (as they very well should have) for their pain, humiliation and intense suffering. Goodness knows if there is any group in America that deserves recompense for the numerous iniquities and justices inflicted upon them it is Black Americans!
The Black experience in America is a distinctive one that has been simultaneously marked and marred with rivers of blood, mountains of sweat and more than a few tears! Such historical and sadistic treatment has consistently manifested itself centuries later in various and menacing ways:
The list goes on. No reasonable person can deny these indisputable truths. Most, if not all of the aforementioned vices are largely due to centuries of past and present circumstances that afflict many people of African descent. The psychological impact is real!
To all those Whites who make the lame argument that they did not enslave anyone or that they and their relatives never owned slaves guess what? So what?! The cold, hard undeniable truth is that you and your forebears have and still do benefit from past and present day retrograde institutional policies that had/still have a disproportionate negative impact on many Black people. Case closed.
Discussions on how such policies would be implemented are ones that are ripe for thoughtful, engaging and robust debate. Some ideas I would suggest are:
America likes to pride itself on being a fair and just society embedded with the ideas of freedom and justice for all. In the case of many Black Americans, it has fell woefully and distressingly short. Considerably so. I can think of no better way to make amends for a paying and debt that is long overdue!
Elwood Watson, Ph.D. is a professor, author and public speaker. His forthcoming book Keepin’ It Real:Essays on Race in Contemporary America , will be published by the University of Chicago Press later this year.
Like any issue that in America that involves race, the issue immediately garnered passionate supporters and equally ardent detractors. Many of these supporters and critics drew lines in the sand and quickly retreated to ideological corners. The public was saturated with the predictable “reparations would be good because…” Reparations would be problematic and unjust due to the fact that…. “ and so on.
The truth was that each side was so busy in trying to aggressively maneuver and stealthily outwit one another that the occasional thoughtful and reflective arguments that sporadically emerged from the blasting fireworks and snarky rhetoric was quickly dismissed as “idealistic but impractical.” This was a less brutal way of saying to your opponents that you made some good points, but I still disagree with you.
Reparations briefly resurfaced during the Obama Presidency. Not surprisingly, there were more than a few people who thought, perhaps condescendingly and naively given the fact that a Black man was finally commander-in-chief that the issue would be given ample support. However, such optimism rapidly faded as Obama made it clear of his opposition to reparations Such a blatant rejection by the former president caused a degree of demoralization among progressive activists and the subject was quickly relegated to the back burner of priorities and replaced by more largely young, White liberal educated ,millennial identified causes such as occupy wall street, environmental issues, LGBTQ rights etc….
Ta-Nehisi Coate’s seminal article The Case for Reparations, that appeared in the June 2014 issue of The Atlantic Monthly https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/ once again, rebounded the issue front and center into the public sphere.. While there were a few new voices and additional arguments made. Most of the rhetoric was merely more rehashed commentary from earlier decades. Virtually no fresh or provocative messages were to be heard. After little more than a year, the issue, once again, went underground. It was business as usual.
Now, as another presidential election approaches, the topic has regained traction among many democratic candidates A number of 2020 hopefuls have avidly embraced the subject with their own ideas of how such a policy would be implemented as they call for discussions on the matter. Yes they have baby!
While some Black people and White progressives turn a hopeful ear to such messages, there are those of us (include me in this category) who are less than enthusiastic about what we are hearing. We are what some would refer to as the cynics. Yes, we are the racially conscientious men and women who sigh and give the side eye. After so many promising starts routinely followed by abrupt and su Cynicism aside, I, like many others, genuinely want to see redden stops, we cannot help but echo “oh Lord, here we go again, how long will it last this time? For the downright cynical, the blatantly ambiguous word “whatever” will suffice!parations given full, serious attention and deep consideration and not for just at various junctures and disingenuous politicians to exploit for opportunistic purposes. The subject is too crucial to be mishandles and manipulated. Sad to say, up until now this has been the case.
To all those who argue that the issue needs to be debated, I say WHAT IS THERE TO DEBATE?! The question as to whether people of African descent past or present deserve to be compensated for past and present injustices should not “up for discussion!” We already know the answer! It is a RESOUNDING yes!
This nation has financially awarded various groups such as Japanese Americans, Holocaust survivors, and other groups (as they very well should have) for their pain, humiliation and intense suffering. Goodness knows if there is any group in America that deserves recompense for the numerous iniquities and justices inflicted upon them it is Black Americans!
The Black experience in America is a distinctive one that has been simultaneously marked and marred with rivers of blood, mountains of sweat and more than a few tears! Such historical and sadistic treatment has consistently manifested itself centuries later in various and menacing ways:
- Rampant abject poverty
- Subpar educational performance
- Hyper segregated school systems with grossly inadequate funding
- Chronic obesity levels due to lack of access to quality food in many black neighborhoods
- Staggeringly high HIV rates
- drug epidemic in many Black communities (the same can be said for a growing number of lower income and working class White communities as well)
- disproportionate numbers of Black men in prison compared to the general population
- inadequate living conditions in many Black neighborhoods
- intense levels of violence due to poverty and lack of economic opportunities
- Rampant police brutality
- Environmental racism
- poor high school graduation rates
- low college graduation rates
- Hyper segregated communities
- High levels of mental health issues
- Systemic an systematic racism and discrimination in virtually all areas of life
The list goes on. No reasonable person can deny these indisputable truths. Most, if not all of the aforementioned vices are largely due to centuries of past and present circumstances that afflict many people of African descent. The psychological impact is real!
To all those Whites who make the lame argument that they did not enslave anyone or that they and their relatives never owned slaves guess what? So what?! The cold, hard undeniable truth is that you and your forebears have and still do benefit from past and present day retrograde institutional policies that had/still have a disproportionate negative impact on many Black people. Case closed.
Discussions on how such policies would be implemented are ones that are ripe for thoughtful, engaging and robust debate. Some ideas I would suggest are:
- First time home buyer programs
- Free public and private education or total student loan forgiveness
- Aggressive affirmative action programs
- A Marshall plan for our impoverished urban areas
- Free pre-school programs
- Mandatory History education programs on the history of Black Americans and other indigenous people etc…
America likes to pride itself on being a fair and just society embedded with the ideas of freedom and justice for all. In the case of many Black Americans, it has fell woefully and distressingly short. Considerably so. I can think of no better way to make amends for a paying and debt that is long overdue!
Elwood Watson, Ph.D. is a professor, author and public speaker. His forthcoming book Keepin’ It Real:Essays on Race in Contemporary America , will be published by the University of Chicago Press later this year.