does white america owe african americans reperations?

Question

Blacks were slaves denied education because education is dangerous lynched wiped and ridiculed. Promised 40 acres and a mule and never got it. White people will say i never owned any slaves and blacks do not deserve free handouts, but is not slave labor a free handout to white people. In a capitalist society that guarantees an under class white America got a damn good head start with years of oppression. Even if you did not own a slave someone in your family line of aristocrats got wealthy off of slaves and that has something to do with your current status. A black boy being shipped off to alabama from Baltimore and separated from his family was common in slave days; now wouldent that have something to do with single parent homes in the ghetto right now.

Answer 1

I would have to agree with you, no matter what the individuals said above me. There should have been some kind of reparations paid to Black Americans. They were forced from their homelands, beaten, families torn apart (literally), heritage replaced, forced to work long hours in inhumane conditions. They were raped, denied education, amputated, disrespected, sold, resold, raped and beaten some more. How in the hell could this possibly be right? And why would you think that it is okay? WOW!!!!!! (not you of course) I think that is ashamed how people can use a minor excuse for a major injustice. I am truly concerned about America now.

Answer 2

It is a common belief that some of the issues surrounding family culture of blacks, is that they were separated and forced to work at slaves. In addition, they were not allowed to marry, children were always born out of wedlock, and people who owned them raped them at will as they were chattel! I suspect many blacks today have direct blood lines back to their white slave owners!

I don't presume to know, though some studies suggest what you say is true. Not being allowed to have a normal family would effect anyone! Being jerked away and seperated would certainly have an impact!

I don't believe Blacks should allow people to use that, as it does nothing more than belittle their own race. They should be proud that they survived for a long time under slavery and still today under racism. Most whites couldn't do it!

It isn't that people today owned slaves as most of those are dead! It is the mentality and overt racism.

And no matter that those today would blame the victim, as it is so convenient, it doesn't have a damn thing to do with them. It has everything to do with this country's debt! THIS COUNTRY OWES PEOPLE (A Class of people) who they violated their rights under the constitution and robbed them of familys, while being perpetrators of crimes against blacks, including rape and murder!. You think the University of Alabama would have been inetgrated if Wallace had his way? Or anyone in Alabama or the South for that matter!

You don't expect corporate America to help do you? They wouild still be using 12 year-olds in sweatshops if they could! Now they use illegals so they don't have to pay a decent wage, even if it is a no bid government contract!

And don't let them fool you! The rich have their quotas. They have an automatic entry into any school of their choice. After all, do you think the Harvard Graduate School of Business would accept you as a student with a 1.8 GPA from Yale. Bush maybe, but not most people in this room!

Making the field level is a good thing. It at least allows a few to enter college, and trust me, colleges still discriminate today, as do whites. They make the tests geared for whites. Think that has anything to do with test scores?

I see bigotry is alive and well by the idiotic answers you are getting. Not well thought out ones either! Just plain bigotry and rationalization!

I find it interesting that almost all of those with old money had to do something immoral or illegal to get their money, including Bush's family. A bunch of Nazi financiers!

Answer 3

Why would they be? Blacks in America created the name "African American" and then named themselves that - nobody else did. At the time they came up with that name for themselves, they also DEFINED what that name means. Their definition is: A person of black African ancestry whose ancestors were brought over from Africa for the purposes of slavery. Before they decided in the 1980's or 1990's whatever it was, that they wanted to be called African Americans, they said they wanted to be called "Blacks", back in the 60's and 70's. Back when they had slogans like "Black is beautiful" and "Black Power", etc. during the Black Power movement, which was at the same time as the Women's Lib movement, the Anti-War movement, and many other movements. Back before they decided that they should be called African Americans, and back before that when they decided they should be called Blacks, they were first called "Negroes" here in this country - however, they didn't choose that particular name themselves. And it was twisted around into the "N" word by whites - now however the "N" word is a common name they call each other all the time. So they have only been choosing their own name to be called since the 60's. According to their own definition of "African American", a white African who moved to America wouldn't fit that description.

Answer 4

No one is making excuses for anything, but we also have to keep in mind that you had white slaves in this country and that life was tough and primitive years ago compared to today. A big positive is the number of blacks that have reached levels of success during this century, take a look at all the great actors, singers and educated people we have here and that the man who ran Motown does not get enough credit for putting together all that great talent. I will say that this was one very smart guy

Answer 5

No. Plenty of slave owners were black too. In 1850, about 30% of slave owners in New Orleans were black and competed quite effectively against white slave owners in the cotton market.

The first slaves in America (in Jamestown) were owned by a black man, a former indentured servant. Europeans had no history of slavery, only indentured servitude in which a person worked off debts and became free. Slavery was an African tradition and was introduced by an African.

To this day, the Africans who returned to Africa (once liberated by the blood of whites and blacks in the Civil War) and who created the nation of Liberia, suffer all sorts of abuse by their own African political masters. The descendants of those who remained in America are much, much better off.

Many sacrifices were made by people of all races to build this prosperous nation. Let's all enjoy the benefits and tell the racist hate-mongers to SHUT THE HELL UP and let us get on with our lives in a color-blind society. Martin Luther King's dream would be the best payoff to people of all races in this great nation.

Answer 6

my family came from India in the late 80s, we never owned any slaves. My brother in law is Jewish, his family came from Poland right before World War II broke out. Many consider him White and his family never owned Slaves. The demographics of White people has changed drastically since the time of Slavery. There are very few white people in America that can trace their descendants to the "oppressors" that you call. Would you consider every white person to owe you or other black people reparations? Now is the time that African Americans rise up from their own problems. Now is the time for everyone to be truly equal. There is no point blaming your problems on what happened to your ancestors.

Answer 7

Show me someone, anyone who is has been a slave in America, and then and only then can we discuss this. You forget in your rush to condemn, all people have been slaves at one time or another. The Jews to the Egyptians, The world to the Babylonians, The world to Persia, The world to Greece, To Rome, The list goes on and on. Yes what took place was wrong. but instead of dwelling on the past, why not work for a great future. Look at Clarance Thomas, Bill Cosby, and Aretha Franklin, The list is long. Anyone can do well if they try, work, and want it enough.

Answer 8

no for many reasons .

1. white people bred slaves , yes that is a known fact . Because of this breeding to get stronger slaves now black people in America are very athletic and a lot of them are making millions and billions off of their gift white people gave them . where is the white people's compensation for all that money

2. when slaves were free they stayed here , why is that? because this is a great country . Would they be in Africa living a terrible life if they never would have been sold to white people by their own people? the answer is yes , think of it as boot camp to be in America

3. there are many social programs that are designed for black people and only black people

4. affirmative action

Answer 9

There were tens of thousands of White Men who gave their lives during the American Civil War, which was fought over the issue of chattel slavery. They won, and slavery was abolished. I think that's sufficient reparation! Otherwise, I agree with EGC - y'all pay me for the lousy treatment my Irish ancestors received when they came to America! Then I'll think about further reparations for blacks...

Answer 10

My ancestors came to this country after the Civil War. My white, Irish, persecuted and starving ancestors came here after the Civil War. They were not aristocrats.

Is holding all white people accountable now, even if they had nothing whatsoever to do with slavery, really helpful?

Or is it just another kind of racism?