Black Press International |

Date: Feature Week of April 27, 2003
Topic: Black Press Business/Economic
Author: William Reed
Article ID: article_ema042703a

REPARATIONS: THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM?
Getting Down To The Business Of Getting Paid

Isn't it time to get back to the business of getting reparations? With poor judgments chipping away Affirmative Action programs, why haven't Black Americans done more to secure reparations for the destruction caused to our fore parents and us during the holocaust of enslavement, enforced free labor and Jim Crow era and current discrimination practices? The U.S. government has never apologized, nor offered compensation for one of the greatest crimes against humanity in world history, yet Black Americans mount no movement to get paid.

Many activists in Black communities and institutions say the reparations issue will define America's 21st century. But, because so many African Americans in the mainstream are bent on not creating dissent, they promote little education toward large segments of Black people on the subject. It's viewed as �pie in the sky,� and many have been misled into believing it's some kind of "charity." Often, proposals for "Black Reparations" have been presented in "abstract" terms, allowing detractors to characterize it as �politically unrealistic.� To get reparations, its proponents will have to implement a broad-based, massive and sustained movement.

An informal BET poll in 2002 showed 70 of Blacks favoring reparations - 30 percent did not favor it. Interestingly, the numbers correlate with the ratio of Blacks who�ve moved to suburbia. A significant obstacle to reparations appears to be Blacks primarily concerned with integrating or assimilating into the system. Mainstream media make a point to showcase Blacks who willingly give reparations scathing criticisms. College professor and columnist Walter Williams has even suggested that he might owe reparations himself because his own success in life can be attributed, in part, to his ancestors having been brought to this country. On the side of reparations, Randall Robinson's book, "The Debt," is sparking interest among audiences inside and outside of the Black community. It points out that the demand the US repair and repay its debt to us is a long overdue piece of unfinished business. Many people agree with Robinson that Black people are entitled to reparations, but view achieving this goal as a pipe dream never to be realized.

Proponents of Black reparations must boost the visibility of such a campaign through our own channels. There are many activities regarding Congressman John Conyers� H.R. 40 bill and Black Reparations that have not yet reached the masses; much like when the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted, many Blacks didn't know they were free, and thus continued to work as slaves. Blacks need to come together on this subject. There's an urgent need to flex whatever economic and political muscle we have to achieve reparations.

To be taken seriously, we must broaden the base for reparations and make it a priority in our coalition-building, electoral politics and other methods of promoting the interest and aspirations of Blacks. �By any means necessary" should be the mantra toward demanding and achieving reparations. We must strengthen bonds among us and build knowledge and advocacy for our collective reparations. Starting at the family and neighborhood level we must: pray for justice from our courts and leaders on the subject; contact our state and congressional representative and ask that they discuss the subject in sessions; discuss the subject with at least 10 people in coming weeks; encourage congregations and organizations to host speakers on reparations; build and maintain libraries of information on it; and work with organized groups to promote the issue within the community and at the local, state and national level.

Time spent begging for affirmative actions would be better spent pursuing just reparations compensation. The Reparations Bill (H.R. 40) introduced by Conyers in the U.S. Congress has been languishing in a Judiciary subcommittee for over 12 years, so the important thing to be done is to get the word out about getting discussions about reparations to the forefront. To accomplish this, everybody that hears the word must spread the word. Contact the following Internet sites for speakers, books and other information on the subject and how to build reparations coalitions where you live:

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