Should African Americans Get Their Reparations?

Question

i think we should i mean its unfair that every other race got their money except for us!!!

Answer 1

The Japanese got their reparations because when they were taken and forced into internment camps, their land, homes and possessions were confiscated by the government. They only got back what was theirs. Of course, they didn't get the true worth of what they lost, only a small portion as a token of apology.

African Americans were taken from their homes and treated horribly, for sure. Sadly, nearly all are gone. Money will not restore them to their homeland...which is what was stolen from them. Their descendants are being rewarded for the suffering and hardships of their ancestors in that they now are living in a free land of abundance and promise. Can you imagine if you were still living in Sudan? You're free to return any time you wish.

Also, the government was not responsible for slavery. It was a matter of free enterprise back then. You'd have to go back to seek reparations from individuals. Slavery, however wrong, was a common practice since the beginning of civilization. Who is responsible?

Answer 2

Are you serious? Please you are just itching for a fight. Yes slavery was bad and it happened for years on end and slaves where promised 40 acres in land and a donkey. But think about what that would add up to today, 5$ maybe? The value of a dollar was alot different back then than it is now. And how would you know if your family members were slaves back then? I'm probably one of the only people, over the age of 10, in my family that was born in america. But I bet you I'm darker then you and would probably get more money if reparations were given. Don't tell me I'm "unloyal to my people" because right now I think there are more important things we could be spending our money on then giving an 200 or so year old unauthorized (i think) payment. Then there is the fact people would be outraged, I mean when exactly did every other race get "reparations'? Plus, like I said before, it wouldn't add up to much now.

Answer 3

I'm personally not sure how I feel about this. Nearly ten times as many African Americans were enslaved as there were exterminated Jews. How exactly would such a sum of money magically appear? I don't necessarily believe it fair to claim that African Americans are the poorest race in America, either. Lack of money isn't the problem, it's the fact that discrimination still occurs where people are more likely to help poor white people rather than poor black or Hispanic people. Do African Americans deserve reparations? Yes.. do modern African Americans deserve them? I'm still thinking about that one.

Answer 4

Huh? Here's my take. Most of us are not 100% African so lets do some math. My family is multicultural so would I have to pay the percentage that is not African in order to receive the percentage that is African?

I truly feel that if any slave is still living (and I mean one from our Antebellum South not a current slave, yes I know there is still some slavery in existence) then they are entitled to their "40 acres and a mule". Since I doubt that is true I think that we as a people need not to worry so much about our legacy of slavery (while truly knowing about it and passing on the history) but make our ancestors proud by still fighting injustice (ex- Jena 6) and taking advantage of education (which our later ancestors fought and died for) and taking the opportunity to try and change the system by being a part of it.

What other race got their money? The Chinese who where treated horribly by the "Chinese Exclusion Act", the Japanese who were put in American concentration camps during WWII, the Native American Tribes who were robbed of their land and identity? This is just to name a few.

Believe me I know it's not all right now but reparations aren't going to solve the problem.

Answer 5

Reparations do not have to be in the form of money; a museum would be fine, after all Americans paid reparations to the Jews through the Holocaust Museum that came out of their pockets

Answer 6

Who's every other race? The only one I know of was the Japanese who were in internment camps, and the money went to the actual people, not their great-great-grandchildren.

Solomon says easy money leaves as fast as it came in, and I think if we actually got reparations it wouldn't do us that much good ultimately, and it would probably do us tons of harm.

Answer 7

What about us Irish? My great, great grandfather was locked down in Central Park, where they had to live in caves. They were marched out every day under armed guard to work 14-16 hours at a stretch in sweatshop factories, then marched back into Central Park under armed guard and locked in for the night!

Out of Him, his first wife, his 2 brothers, a sister and their spouses, and 19 children between all these people, FOUR--that's right!!! FOUR LIVED.

So I have founded a new organization demanding reparations for we Irish-Americans. It's called

Woeful
Helpless
Irish
Need
Emergency
Reparations

Or just "W.H.I.N.E.R." for short. We WHINERS want the government to go to our neighbors and PICK THEIR POCKETS and give us the money we deserve because their ancestors 150 years ago or so, were mean to our ancestors!!!

This is our slogan, which we will shout as we march down the streets: "Woeful Helpless Irish Need Emergency Reparations! Woeful Helpless Irish Need Emergency Reparations! Woeful Helpless Irish Need Emergency Reparations!"

If that's too long we'll just shorten it to "WHINE! WHINE! WHINE!"


WHINERS unite! Together we can rip off our neighbors......

Answer 8

No. Many cultures and groups have had horrible things done to them. The past needs to stay where it belongs, in the past. Otherwise we'll never be able to focus on living in the present and working to make the future brighter. The terrible things that have been done have been done. No amount of "reparations" will ever undo them. Get educated, become a productive member of society, and remember that we're all Americans and we're all responsible for ourselves.

Answer 9

I wasn't aware that every other race got their money. The Cree, Sioux, Cherokee, Chippawa, Blackfoot, Crow etc... certainly don't appear to have received reparation payments. I would far prefer an end to racism including an end to racial profiling and job discrimination.

Answer 10

Reparations have been paid in the form of a the standard of living for the slave ancestors. Do you think your african ancestry has a roof, couch and a television? Africa is rife with war and disease.