This video is shocking and hurtful to watch, but an important part of black history. We bring these things to you because there is a reason that they aren’t taught in the school system. Over hundreds of years of slavery, there are countless untold stories about unbelievable amounts of suffering, and the pain is not diminished by silence.
Part of the reason that people argue against reparations is because the depth of black suffering throughout slavery has been deliberately muted. This is also the reason that the federal government refuses to apologize for these atrocities, which were sanctioned by the very same government that some of us honor till this day. They know that legally, if they apologize, they are admitting guilt. Admitting guilt implies liability, which naturally calls for a financial remedy.
As a Finance professor, I can tell you that, without question, African Americans deserve reparations more than any other group in the history of this country. Not only are we culturally trαumatized by the events that took place during slavery and Jim Crow, we are economically devastated as well. That’s why, to this day, you can walk down any street in New York City and find that none of the multi-million dollar buildings belong to us. This is because, for hundreds of years, wealth was passed down from one white person to another, while black wealth, land and assets were consistently stripped and given to other people. The children of those people now own the assets that were taken away from our ancestors. It’s not a difficult argument to make.
Keep studying black history, you’re going to find a lot of things out that your teacher never taught you. Also, please be sure to share this with your children and anyone else who wants to know. The Internet era is an opportunity for black people to regain the history that has been stolen from us. Watch the video all the way through, no matter how painful it might be, and then take a second to wonder if you think that we deserve reparations.
A plan is implementable if we choose to move forward….but we have to give our politicians a little “shove.”
Dr. Boyce Watkins co-stars in the Janks Morton Film “Hoodwinked,” starring Dr. Steve Perry, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu and Dr. Ivory Toldson. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.