Will The House Of Representatives’ Apology For Slavery Open The Door For Potential Reparations?
Slavery Reparations: How Feasible Is That Anyway?
What would the black community like to see if Barack is elected?
Would reparations be the right thing to do? Absolutely. The problem is that our country isn’t always in the habit of doing the right thing.
There was a time when reparations seemed impossible. With the recent decision to apologize for slavery made by the House of Representatives (which should have occurred long ago), we might be getting somewhere with this.
“When you admit to guilt, the next thing people say is, ‘what are you going to do to make it right?’” Syracuse University professor Boyce Watkins told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “If you admit something was stolen, you have to give something back. It opens the door for additional conversation about reparations.”
“The U.S. House deserves credit for taking this step, but the proof is in the potato salad,” he said. “If you don’t follow the apology with action, talk is cheap. Talk is less expensive than reparations.”
“I am not a fan of everybody getting a check. That doesn’t make much sense. I would favor engaging in specific policies that would lead to the restructuring of communities that have been devastated by segregation. Also, more focus on programs such as Head Start and more efforts to make inner city schools just as good as the schools in the suburbs.”
James Taylor, a University of San Francisco political science professor who has worked with several government bodies to create slavery disclosure ordinances, told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “It’s about 230 years too late.“
