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REPARATIONS ARE ABOUT BEING FAIR BY TONYA REED Written, May 22nd 2002. 
Why are so many people indifferent about reparations to black Americans? My
guess - because many Americans are indifferent about fairness. And perhaps,
more importantly, they refute the undeniable consequences of slavery.
For too long, opponents of affirmative action say we should fly the flag of forgiveness, proclaiming slavery was a long time ago and look where blacks are today. And where are we? According to statistics, the unemployment rate of blacks is currently more than double that of whites. If you are black, you are three times more likely to live in poverty. And in the 1999 U.S. census report, the average income for white families was on average 50 percent higher than that of black families. Just last month, the federal Department of Health and Human Services launched a health screening campaign in part to reduce racial health disparities. The Institute of Medicine reported minorities are less likely to get appropriate care for a host of diseases and said the gap exists throughout the health care system, even when insurance, income, age and severity of the disease are the same. These and other statistics are not just coincidental. History makes a difference. If you began as someone's property then reaching the ladder is a struggle, nevermind climbing it. Sure, there are a scattering of people who overcome. But not many, and those "glass ceilings" are still slow to break. Slavery not only represented man's ignorance, but serves as one more example of the depths of his brutality ... and the inequality it bore through the decades has not disappeared. Plus there was money to be made. Let's not be mistaken, free labor is just that - free. The slave trade had a significant impact on the country's economy, not just the South. Individuals and businesses made money off the backs of slaves, and evidence has surfaced of insurance policies on slaves taken out by their owners. 
The California Department of Insurance required insurance companies doing
business in the state to report whether they or their predecessors issued
insurance policies to slaveholders. Policies with six companies recently
surfaced, and the department released a separate database with the names of
about 675 slaves and more than 300 slaveholders.
And following the disclosure in California, the Georgia insurance commissioner launched an investigation into whether insuring slaves was practiced in his state. These findings give even more weight to reparation claims. America's past has contributed to its present. Slavery may be a closed chapter, but feelings of anger, hurt and even disbelief linger. How could men, women and children be bought and sold like cattle? And it was thought to be right and just. And why, in a new millennium, do blacks and other minorities still find doors reluctant to be opened? Why do some people still think they are better, smarter, more capable of reason and comprehension simply because of the color of their skin? If the federal government would consider reparations to slave descendants, that acknowledgment would send the message from those in power that slavery was wrong, and something should be done to compensate the descendants of those forced into labor. If the dollar figure was only symbolic and put into a trust fund for projects such as those promoting diversity, mentoring programs or continuing education for those in the poorest communities, it would be a new day in America ... carrying a promise of better days. And just maybe the ugly shroud of slavery and bigotry can be lifted ... once and for all. Tonya is a copy editor and columnist for the Opelika-Auburn News. SIGN UP TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER If you would like us to keep you updated with changes and improvements to thatsalabama.com, please enter your email address here: If you would like to support thatsalabama.com with a donation via paypal, please click on this button: |
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