by
Brother Saye
By now, most Americans are aware that midterm elections resulted in Democrats winning control of the Senate, with a chance to win one more seat if Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) wins re-election in a runoff against GOP candidate, Herschel Walker. Despite the victory, Black support for Democrats fell between four to seven percentage points during the midterms, compared with 2018, according to network exit polling and AP Vote Cast polls. The lack of engagement, outreach, and investment toward Black society has many Black citizens demanding politicians deliver reparations, community resources, and tangible legislation specifically aimed toward Black society, instead of symbolic gestures like a Juneteenth federal holiday, and President Biden’s anti-lynching bill. For over a century, American culture celebrated White society lynching Blacks with impunity during slavery, throughout the Jim Crow era. Historical documents support over 200 failed attempts by US lawmakers to pass anti-lynching legislation, making Biden’s legislation a symbolic gesture.
With the 2022 midterm elections all but done, many politicians are now turning to the presidential elections of 2024, and reparations advocates are answering questions from those opposing Black Americans’ demand for reparations.
“I never owned slaves so I’m not responsible.”
Slavery was sanctioned by the federal government, and all those under the government profited from free Black labor. So the same government and its subjects owe Black people for the free labor that accumulated all the wealth today.
“I’m Irish, so am I owed reparations?”
Irish indentured servants already received two forms of reparations. One was Freedom Dues (money & land) and the second, was all the tangible benefits that came with the first Affirmative Action program called white supremacy.
“How would we determine who is qualified for reparations?”
It will be based on Foundational Black Americans who can trace a direct ancestor to slavery. If your ancestor was enslaved, most likely you will find them or their descendants on the 1870 census.
“Why am I responsible for the sins of my forefathers?”
Your ancestors profited from the institution of slavery. The profits from the institution of slavery were passed down generationally, and those profits have been racially locked into the dominant society, away from the descendants of slaves.
“There are no slaves alive today.”
In order to justify American slavery, a culture of vile anti-Black racism was created and placed in all areas of activity. That systematic culture has been passed down and it has magnified into genocidal proportions, today.
“Slavery was so long ago, why are we worrying about ancient history?” One of the last Black American slaves who had verifiable documents that he was sold to plantation owners before the Civil War was a man named Sylvester Magee who died in 1971.
“The Civil War was reparations.”
Northern whites started randomly killing Black people during the draft riots when the Civil War was announced. White Union soldiers killed thousands of Blacks after the Civil War in a concentration camp in Natchez, Mississippi, so Blacks need reparation payments.
“Why should my tax dollars pay for something I didn’t do?”
Blacks didn’t place Japanese in internment camps, but our tax dollars went into paying them. Blacks didn’t destroy the World Trade Center, but our tax dollars went to paying 9/11 victims. So tax dollars should be used to compensate Black Americans for reparations.
“Reparations talk is divisive and will make Whites feel uncomfortable.”
Guess what else is uncomfortable?
*Slavery
*Jim Crow
*Lynching’s
*Gentrification
*Racial mass incarceration
*State-sanctioned police and White vigilante murders
Reparations aren’t contingent upon the feelings of Whites.
The White mainstream American media continues to be silent as support for reparations among Black Americans becomes more prevalent. The obvious media abandonment is so visible, all but 1 mainstream organization refused to even cover a recent Washington DC event, “Rally 4 Reparations/ November 5th,” where thousands of Black Americans successfully attended the historic event.
Meanwhile, many Black Americans question Joe Biden and Democrats for constantly providing tangible resources to other groups while neglecting Black Americans, only providing symbolic legislation.
Biden approves an additional $1.1 billion in security assistance for Ukraine
Biden announces $49.5M in grants to address Asian American xenophobia
Biden announces $49.5M in grants to address Asian American xenophobia
Meanwhile
Many have pointed out how tangible resources are only distributed after something happens to non-Black communities, While Black communities are only told to pray and forgive, while given symbolic gestures.
Symbolic Gestures For Blacks
October 22, 2022 – Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul and Buffalo Mayor Byron W. Brown announced the establishment of the May 14th Memorial Commission in response to the mass shooting at a Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue earlier this year. The Commission will develop and advise on the execution of a plan to site and build a physical memorial in East Buffalo to memorialize the life and legacy of the ten Black residents of Buffalo who died in the white supremacist terror attack earlier this year.
Meanwhile, other groups are allocated tangibles
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announces new hate crime legislation in response to threats against the Jewish and LGBTQ communities.
Signs Legislation (S.6570/A.1202) to Require Individuals Convicted of Hate Crimes to Undergo Mandatory Training in Hate Crime Prevention and Education and Legislation (S.123A/A.5913A) to Establish a Statewide Campaign Developed and Run by the Division of Human Rights to Promote the Acceptance, Inclusion, Tolerance, and Understanding of the Diversity of the People of New York
Encourages Community-Based Organizations to Apply for $50 Million to Strengthen Safety Measures and Protect Against Hate Crimes – Deadline Extended for Additional Applications
Announces Plans for Unity Summit to Bring Together Community Leaders and Combat Hate, Violent Extremism, and Discrimination
Builds on the State’s Hate Crime Prevention Initiatives Supported by $361 Million in State and Federal Grant Funding
1up Atlanta Examiner 