The Pros And Cons Of Reparation Of African Americans

More than one hundred years have passed since slavery ended, fifty-five years since the repeal of Jim Crow laws. Historical Civil Rights leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X have given birth to a new generation of racial equality activists such as Colin Kaepernick, Michelle Alexander, and Barack Obama. New leaders in the 21st century say that reparations, or “the making of amends for a wrong one has done by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged,” as defined by Webster's Dictionary, are necessary because African American citizens are still affected by the unjustifiable treatment of black people during the 1800’s. Slavery’s drastic toll on the black community encourages social justice groups
to push for reparations for those whose ancestors were slaves themselves, “... In September 2016 a group at the United Nations wrote a report that concluded African-Americans deserve reparations for enduring centuries of “racial terrorism,”…” Reparations like ones that are pushed for at the U.N. are needed to help heal the wounds left by slavery because of the financial and psychological setbacks to the progression of black communities in American society. In the Article, “Issue Overview: Should the descendants of slaves get reparations?,” by ThoughtCo.com, there are many arguments made for the implementation of reparations.
The author mentions that the U.N. panel expressed that, “reparations can be ‘a formal apology, health initiatives, educational opportunities ... psychological rehabilitation, technology transfer and financial support, and debt cancellation.” These alternate methods of “paying back” the black community is used to appease those who oppose the government handing out money to people. Some may argue that the U.S. government paying back people for their suffering caused by them is nothing new for example ThoughtCo writer points out that, “The U.S. has also given reparations, specifically to the Japanese-Americans forced into internment camps during World War II. The U.S. government later apologized and gave $20,000 to the people who had been interned.” In the case of the Japanese Internment camps, the government put a price on what their suffering was worth. Why then, shouldn’t African Americans be paid their dues as well? Another argument for the use of reparations is made by Ta-Nehisi Coates, a journalist for the Atlantic Magazine and a supporter of reparations, who argues, “that reparations are needed because, after the Civil War, African-Americans endured a second slavery. This was due to practices like debt peonage, a system where somebody is forced to work to pay off a debt. It was also due to Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation in the southern states.” The poignant topic of the Jim Crow laws is often ignored when people who are against reparations say that, “... black former slaves are not alive anymore”. The racism endured by African Americans during the days of Jim Crow is still remembered by people who have lived long enough to see the segregation laws
repealed.
In my view reparations are needed because of the systemic disadvantages that still plague the African American community. To this day African Americans, “... African-Americans have higher rates of poverty and unemployment than other groups,” as noted by ThoughtCo.com’s article. In a large part, the American government has played a huge role in the impoverishment the African American community has faced. Ta-Nehisi Coates, emphasizes the correlation between high rates of poverty and government proceedings after the Civil War by stating that, “reparations are needed because, after the Civil War, African-Americans endured a second slavery. This was due to practices like debt peonage, a system where somebody is forced to work to pay off a debt.” Some form of apology must be made to even start to reconcile the broken relationship between the Black community and the American government because otherwise these unpleasant topics like slavery and racism will be swept under the rug. Some people may argue that paying money to those who are affected by slavery. It is my firm belief that lifting up members of the community with scholarships and educational opportunities can greatly decrease the amount of anti-government sentiment and poverty. African Americans who live in low-income areas would no longer feel there is no other way to live. Giving them a chance to see beyond the “hoods,” to believe that they too, can be successful contributors to society as a whole.
In conclusion, reparations are needed to help apologize for the horrors that were afflicted onto African Americans during slavery and to heal the rift that the American government has caused by ignoring their own wrongdoings. There was never a formal apology for slavery, only the American government denying they took any part in it. This is now why we have radicalized, terrorist groups like the K.K.K. and people who believe it's okay to call black people the N-word. Living in one of the poorest cities in America I have the first-hand experience of knowing that most poor black kids wouldn't even dream of going to college because they simply couldn't afford it. Transfering to Canastota you can actually see the difference of what living in a higher tax bracket actually looks like.